We all understand why many people hate the rich.

And I can't think of a single Canadian who's impressed by China's decision to use its legal system as a battering ram against Canada.

This has taken the form of arresting a Canadian businessman and a diplomat on leave, and sentencing a Canadian drug dealer to death, likely in retailiation for Canada upholding an extradition treaty with America.

Perhaps Canadian authorities had good reasons last month for arresting Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou when she stopped in Vancouver on a connecting flight bound for other countries.

But the constant media stakeouts of her expensive home in Dunbar are getting a little tiresome.

Today, it was the editors at Bloomberg and the Vancouver Sun who felt a need to run more of these surveillance stories.

The Bloomberg bureau chief in Vancouver, Natalie Obiko Pearson, tweeted that Meng's bail monitor "sped his SUV over to jam our car, then accused us of damaging his vehicle to obstruct us from reporting on her life".

"But his court-appointed duty is to ensure she doesn't flee—not to shield her from the public eye," Obiko Pearson stated.

That prompted the following reply by former Statistics Canada employee Victor Wong, who often zeroes in on what he perceives as the media's shortcomings.

https://twitter.com/VictorY_Wong/status/1086010301139406849

In this instance, I have to say that I agree with Wong.

Meng hadn't even been charged by U.S. prosecutors when she was taken into custody in Canada.

She was merely arrested on a provisional warrant on suspicion of misleading banking authorities about the ownership of Skycom Tech Co. Ltd. 

In the past, she was a director of this company, which is suspected of violating a U.S. embargo against Iran.

Meng has denied the allegations by the U.S. government, which were advanced by a Canadian prosecutor in court.

Canadian authorities were only given a summary of facts by the Americans and not a charge sheet.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump's top trade adviser, Peter Navarro, has denied knowing ahead of time that Meng was going to be arrested.

Trump, however, told Reuters that he "would certainly intervene" if that was good for U.S. trade.

Naturally, the U.S. Justice Department distanced itself from Trump's remark. And while there may eventually be good reason to throw the book at her, nothing has been proven at this point.

The media almost never subject other accused people to this kind of coverage if they're granted bail.

And if camera operators and reporters engage in this behaviour for this length of time, it usually occurs after a person has been charged with criminal offences.

In this instance, a case can be made for giving this woman a bit of privacy.

I fully expect a bunch of hollering from people who complain that the Canadians being held in China are being treated far worse.

I don't disagree with that.

But does that mean we should become braying jackals?

There are many other means to get back at China.

This can include highlighting the legitimate democratic aspirations of the people of Taiwan.

Boycotting products from China and travel to China are two other ways.

Demonstrations outside the Chinese consulate on Granville Street and supporting candidates who oppose China's participation in the World Trade Organization can also send a message.

Donating to Amnesty International could help.

But stalking a business executive who hasn't even been formally charged isn't going to do a thing to assist the jailed Canadians in China.

It's time to get real.