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Meng was arrested in Vancouver on an extradition warrant from the United States and is now under house arrest in a mansion after being released on bail.

Meng’s arrest incensed China, plunging relations with Canada to an all-time low and sparking numerous allegations that Canada’s actions were unlawful or part of a politically motivated play at the behest of the Trump administration in the U.S.

Freeland and her fellow cabinet ministers have steadfastly said Meng’s arrest is lawful and her rights are being protected. They say she is part of a judicial proceeding that is divorced from political manoeuvring.

One week before the scheduled call, Lu Shaye, China’s ambassador to Canada, called Meng’s arrest a “miscarriage of justice” in an opinion column published by the Globe and Mail newspaper.

A briefing note prepared for Freeland’s call to Yang suggests that privately the government was bristling at China’s depiction that Meng’s legal rights were somehow in peril in Canada.

“Urge China to desist from inaccurate portrayals of Canada’s judicial process and treatment of Ms. Meng,” the memorandum states as a main objective after advocating for Kovrig’s and Spavor’s “immediate release.”

“As the international community looks on, urge China not to damage bilateral relationship, over a single consular case however high profile.”

The note, released under the Access to Information Act, urges Freeland to deliver a key message: Canada is treating Meng better than Kovrig and Spavor.