China is not apologizing for the execution of four Canadian citizens for alleged drug trafficking.

“China always imposes severe penalties on drug-related crimes,” a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy said. “The facts of the crimes committed by the Canadian nationals involved in the cases are clear, and the evidence is solid and sufficient.”

The four Canadians accused of drug smuggling allegedly had dual citizenship, and Canada’s foreign affairs minister Melanie Joly, along with former PM Justin Trudeau had asked China for clemency.

But Beijing had other ideas and reportedly executed the four by firing squad.

Joly “strongly condemned” the killings as did Amnesty International.

After being questioned by reports…. Melanie Joly explains the executions.

4 dual citizens (Chinese and Canadian) were executed by China.
These criminals had been charged with drug crimes.

Joly would not expand on what drug crimes. Wonder if they would have been free in… pic.twitter.com/IAMvKszuXi

— sonofabench (@therealmrbench) March 20, 2025

“These shocking and inhumane executions of Canadian citizens by Chinese authorities should be a wake-up call for Canada,” a group representative, said in a statement.

According to some on X, the mainstream media hasn’t been reporting the executions factually. Shocking.

This is why no one trusts main stream media, they never tell the truth. I had to go to Al Jazeera for the full story.

The people executed in China had dual citizenship. Why someone would keep their passport for a communist country is anyone’s guess. pic.twitter.com/vEq3harxlp

— Leah True Crime Canada (@CanTrueCrime) March 20, 2025

Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig reacted to the executions by saying, “any hopes that China might be willing to extend some olive branches or try to heal rifts in the relationship, to try to thaw things out, I think this pretty clearly demonstrates that that is not terribly high on its list of priorities.”

Kovrig appears to be accurate with China brushing off the backlash as business as usual and defending “severe penalties.”

China “fully guaranteed the rights and interests of the Canadian nationals concerned,” a Chinese embassy spokesperson said, and urged Canada to “stop making irresponsible remarks.”

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