Canada needs to stand up for itself on the world stage.

Five hundred and fifty-seven days after Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were arbitrarily detained by Chinese authorities, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he is "disappointed" that China charged the two men with espionage with no apparent evidence.  

Feeling disappointed by China's thuggish behaviour is not leadership. Waiting until after Canada lost its bid for a UN security council seat is not leadership. 

Remember, Canada had arrested Huawei's CFO Meng Wanzhou at the request of the United States. Yet to date, China has not taken any American citizens hostage because they view Justin Trudeau as an easy pushover. 

The Trudeau government has completely miscalculated the complexity of the ongoing US-China trade war. As a result, Justin Trudeau has put Canada's trade, economic and national interests at risk. 

Under the misguided priorities of the Trudeau government, not only did Canada lose its bid to the UN Security Council, its international image has drastically declined. 

We need to recalibrate our relations with China. We need effective leadership from the top and smart diplomacy. Under my leadership as Prime Minister, I would do things differently with China.

Canada should absolutely stand up to China's Xi Jinping wherever we need to while also negotiating on trade and seeking ways to cooperate on the environment and pandemics. 

Our government must do more than be “disappointed” with the Communist Party of China. Trudeau should immediately demand that China either release Michael Korvig and Michael Spavor or allow them to go on bail, improving the current conditions in which they live. It is unfair for these two Canadian citizens to live in terrible conditions in a prison in Dandong, China while Canada’s legal system has allowed  Meng to live in her million-dollar mansion in Vancouver.  

It is only when we demand fair play from China and stand up for ourselves that the International community will start respecting Canada again. As Prime Minister, I would follow the United States' action of freezing the assets of top Chinese Communist Party's officials and their relatives in Canada, until we are able to foster a relationship of mutual respect between the countries. 

The Trudeau government's timid and ineffective China policy has produced zero results. It is time for a reset in Ottawa. 

The Liberals sold out Canadian principles in their failed UN bid. If Canada wants respect on the world stage again it’s time we found our backbone.