Trudeau: Bowing to China would put others at risk

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says bowing to pressure from Beijing to secure release of two Canians would put "an awful lot more" citizens at risk by signalling Cana can be intimidated.

Trudeau isn't budging from his stance that it would send wrong mess to drop extrition proceedings against telecommunications executive Meng Wanzhou in hope of winning freedom for entrepreneur Michael Spavor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig.

Canian authorities took Meng into custody over American allegations of violating sanctions on Iran, and her extrition case is w before a British Columbia court.

Soon after Meng was arrested, Beijing detained Spavor and Kovrig on allegations of undermining China's national security - developments widely seen in Cana as retaliation for detention of Meng.

A letter to Trudeau signed by 19 former politicians and diplomats urges that Meng be freed in a bid to win release of detained Canians.

"I respect distinguished Canians who put forward that letter, but I deeply disagree with m," said Trudeau.

" idea of solving a short term situation by creating a precedent that demonstrates to China that all y or ar country has to do is randomly arrest a handful of Canians to put political pressure on a government to do what we want. Even by going against independence of our justice system."