Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expressed disappointment over the decision by Chinese authorities to foist espionage charges against two Canadians, including a former diplomat, who have been detained in China for over 550 days.
Trudeau’s statement was followed by the country’s Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne calling for the immediate release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, asserting they had been “arbitrarily detained.”
Their arrests have been deemed by analysts as hostage diplomacy undertaken by Beijing, as the moves followed the detention of a senior executive of the Chinese telecom firm Huawei in Vancouver in 2018. That executive, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested in December 2018 and is on trial for a case related to fraud that could ultimately lead to her extradition to the United States. She also happens to be the daughter of Huawei’s founder.
“We will continue to use all of our expertise to return these two Michaels to Canada,” Trudeau said in response to a question during his daily media briefing in Ottawa.
Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was somewhat more outspoken in her reaction, as she said she was “very angry” at the Chinese action In charging the two with espionage. “Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor are two very great Canadians who are behaving incredibly decent in the difficult circumstances that they have been placed in and absolutely at no fault of their own,” she said during a media interaction, according to the outlet Global News.
{{/usCountry}}Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was somewhat more outspoken in her reaction, as she said she was “very angry” at the Chinese action In charging the two with espionage. “Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor are two very great Canadians who are behaving incredibly decent in the difficult circumstances that they have been placed in and absolutely at no fault of their own,” she said during a media interaction, according to the outlet Global News.
{{/usCountry}}In a statement, the International Crisis Group, where Kovrig worked as a senior adviser, blasted the Chinese prosecution, stating, “This is yet another arbitrary and baseless step in a case that has been arbitrary and baseless from day one.”
Canada’s Foreign Minister said the cases of Kovrig and Spavor “remain a top priority for the Government of Canada.” He also expressed concern over how they were since China has denied Canada consular access since January.