Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Saturday he has asked Canadian Ambassador to China John McCallum to step down following comments he made regarding the case of detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou.

“Last night I asked for and accepted John McCallum’s resignation as Canada’s Ambassador to China,” he stated.

“For almost two decades, John McCallum has served Canadians honourably and with distinction.”

Trudeau added that Jim Nickel, the deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Canada in Beijing, will represent Canada in Chinese affairs. The statement did not specify whether this is a permanent arrangement.

The statement comes after the former ambassador was quoted in StarMetro Vancouver on Friday as saying it would be “great for Canada” if the United States drops an extradition request against Meng.

McCallum also said he misspoke earlier in the week when he discussed Meng Wanzhou’s case with a group of Chinese-language journalists in Toronto, listing several arguments he thought could help her with her fight against extradition.

More to come. 

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