China overturns Canadian man's death sentence on drug charges, his lawyer said, marking a potential thaw in relations after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent visit. Robert Schellenberg was initially sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2018 for suspected drug smuggling but was condemned to death in a January 2019 retrial, a move widely seen as retaliation for the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver. China's Supreme People's Court overturned the death sentence on Friday, sending the case for retrial in Liaoning Provincial High People's Court. Carney's four-day visit in January 2026, where he hailed improving ties after years of strain under Justin Trudeau, preceded the decision. A lawyer familiar with the case suggested the timing strongly implies a link between the visit and the court's ruling, though Schellenberg's eventual acquittal remains unlikely due to the severity of the original sentence. The move comes after Canada imposed tariffs on Chinese EVs in 2024, prompting China to retaliate with tariffs on Canadian canola and other agricultural products, a conflict partially resolved during Carney's visit with agreements to slash tariffs on both EVs and canola.

This reversal is significant against a backdrop of heightened tensions. China had detained two Canadians on spying accusations shortly after Meng's arrest, accusations widely viewed as hostage diplomacy. The two were released in 2021 when the U.S. dropped its extradition request for Meng. Diplomatic relations further soured after Canada's 2024 tariffs, leading to China's retaliatory tariffs on over $2.6 billion worth of Canadian farm and food products. The recent rapprochement, including the tariff reductions, signals a potential shift in the complex geopolitical and economic dynamics between the two nations, though analysts caution Ottawa is unlikely to dramatically pivot away from Washington.

Quick Fact: Four Canadian citizens were executed by China last year on drug smuggling charges, Canada said at the time.