Canada is spearheading a global initiative to stop countries from detaining foreign citizens for diplomatic leverage, with its foreign minister calling the practice “illegal and immoral.”

Representatives from 58 countries have signed the non-binding “Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention,” which does not target any nation. Signatories included the United States, Britain, Australia, Japan and nearly all members of the 27-nation European Union.

Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau said arbitrary detentions were unacceptable. “Taking people from their families and using them as bargaining chips is both illegal and immoral,” he told Reuters.

In December 2018, Beijing detained two Canadians, businessman Michael Spavor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig, after the arrest of top Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on an extradition request by the U.S.

The U.S. State Department said last week that it rejected China’s “use of coercion as a political tool” and called for the release of the two Canadians.

An anonymous Canadian official told Reuters that the declaration was prompted by concerns over the behaviour of China, Iran, Russia and North Korea.

“We want to make them feel a little uncomfortable. We want them to know that a lot of countries think this practice is unacceptable and hopefully over time it does contribute to a change in behavior,” the official said, adding that the declaration might put pressure on Beijing.

A spokesperson from the Chinese embassy in Canada rejected accusations of arbitrary detention in the cases of Spavor and Kovrig, saying that it was “totally fact-distorting and ill-intentioned.”

Instead, the spokesperson said that Meng’s arrest was a case of arbitrary detention and accused Canada of hypocrisy, as well as trampling on the rights and interests of Chinese citizens.

“The Canadian side’s attempt to pressure China by using ‘Megaphone Diplomacy’ or ganging up is totally futile and will only head towards a dead end,” the spokesperson said, urging Canada to release Meng and return her to China.

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