Retaliate Against China

I used to have a lot of dealings with the government of Canada and they don't deserve what they are getting from the Chinese.  Two stories today, one from NPR and one from the Wall Street Journal help to better understand why China is detaining Canadians as a way of retaliation against Canada for holding a Huawei official who probably deserved holding.  Canada honored a reciprocal agreement with the US on this and China, who rarely cooperates with anyone on warrants, cannot understand why.  That part is long over and China has gone beyond the original case.  When retaliation comes, there should be some response. 

If it were me, every time a Canadian national was detained during this little crisis, I would return one Chinese diplomat to China.  Give instructions that when the Canadian is released, the diplomat can return.  Pick the spies first - they know which ones are spies - so there is a real gaming outcome. 

The Chinese are outlaws when it comes to international justice standards of conduct.  They steal technology, take over territories that are not theirs, use their business entities to spy (which is what started all this) give intelligence collected by their services and military to their businesses to better compete,  thumb their noses at the WTO and trade agreements with anyone.  Yet, we continue to play by the rules when we respond.  The Canadians are cool and calm on the outside, but I have been in meetings with them when they told us what was going on on their insides.  Watch out China.