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In the last six months, the timing of Chinese action against Canadian citizens has reinforced suspicions that Beijing is targeting a close American ally in retaliation for what China says is an unfair American effort to hobble Huawei and seize one of its executives — a campaign that it says is aided and abetted by the Canadian government.

“Everything in China is done in accordance with law,” Lu, the Chinese government spokesman, told reporters Thursday. “We hope Canada will not interfere with, or comment casually on, other countries’ lawful practices.”

Citing Huawei’s threat to U.S. national security, the Commerce Department had announced hours earlier on Wednesday that it named Huawei to the so-called “Entity List.” The blacklist is known to some as a “death penalty” because global companies often struggle to survive once they are starved of doing business with American companies or sourcing American parts.

The U.S. move, which administration officials said were motivated in part by faltering trade discussions with China, was likely seen as deeply hostile by Chinese leaders and a stark reminder by Washington of China’s dependence on the American supply chain. Chinese officials were alarmed and outraged in 2016 when the Commerce Department similarly put ZTE on the “Entity List,” which threatened to put that Chinese tech giant out of business practically overnight.