If countries around the world, including China, realize that by arbitrarily arresting Canadians, they can get what they want out of Canada politically, that would make an awful lot more Canadians who travel around the world vulnerable to that kind of pressure.

In response to reporters' questions as to whether he would approve of a "prisoner exchange" in the extradition case of Huawei heiress Meng Wanzhou in order to facilitate the release of two detained Canadian diplomats, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, charged with espionage by the Chinese government (25 June 2020); the previous day, 24 June 2020, 19 prominent Canadian officials, including former parliamentarians and senior diplomats, had signed a letter to Trudeau calling for the government to release Meng, a call that Trudeau rejected on grounds it would legitimize the concept of "hostage diplomacy" and undermine the international rule of law.