Canada Goose delays opening of flagship China store

Beijing: Canadian clothing brand Canada Goose delayed the opening of a new flagship store in Beijing on Saturday, a decision that comes as Canada and China are locked in a diplomatic standoff.

Famous for its high-end parka jackets, Canada Goose said its new store would not open as planned because of ongoing works.

“I am sorry to inform you that the opening of the Beijing Sanlitun flagship store, which was originally scheduled for Saturday December 15, will be postponed due to renovation works,” the company, which is one of Canada’s best-known brands, said on China’s Twitter-like Weibo on Friday.

Shop windows and logos had been covered up outside the store.

The announcement comes two weeks after Chinese national Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of telecom behemoth Huawei, was arrested in Canada following a request by the United States, which wants her extradited for allegedly violating US sanctions on Iran.

In a move viewed by experts as retaliation, two Canadian citizens — business consultant Michael Spavor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig — were detained in China on suspicion of “harm to national security”, a phrase often used by Beijing when alleging espionage.

Some social media users had called for a boycott of Canada Goose, but Canadian companies operating in China have not reported any problems since the tensions emerged.