Two Canadians are under investigation on suspicion of endangering national security, Beijing said yesterday.
Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and business consultant Michael Spavor on Monday were put under “compulsory measures,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lu Kang (陸慷) said, using a term that would usually mean they are in custody.
They were “suspected of engaging in activities that threatened China’s national security,” Lu told a regular news conference, without saying if the cases were related.
Photo: AFP
Kovrig, who works for the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank, was being investigated by the Chinese Ministry of State Security, while the agency’s office in Liaoning Province was handling the probe into Spavor, Lu said.
Spavor is a China-based business consultant who facilitates trips to North Korea, has met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and has arranged some of retired NBA star Dennis Rodman’s trips to the country.
Their cases are to fuel suspicions that China is retaliating against Canada’s arrest of Huawei Technologies Co (華為) chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou (孟晚舟).
ICG had earlier this week reported Kovrig’s arrest, while Ottawa on Wednesday said that it had not heard from Spavor since he was questioned.
Lu said that China provided “relevant information” to the Canadian consulate “without delay.”
“We have been unable to make contact since he let us know he was being questioned by Chinese authorities,” Global Affairs Canada spokesman Guillaume Berube said.
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland said the government had raised his case with Chinese authorities.
Canadian officials said they were informed of Kovrig’s detention early on Wednesday via fax.
China’s foreign ministry said that ICG was not registered in China and its employees would be breaking the law if they engage in activities in the country.
“Canada is deeply concerned about the detention of Mr Kovrig and Canada has raised the case directly with Chinese officials,” Freeland said.
Kovrig was based in Hong Kong for ICG, working on foreign policy and security issues in the region, particularly on the Korean Peninsula.
Freeland has also indirectly criticized statements by US President Donald Trump, who on Tuesday said that he was ready to intervene in the Meng affair if it helps seal a trade deal with China.
“Our extradition partners should not seek to politicize the extradition process or use it for ends other than the pursuit of justice and following the rule of law,” Freeland said.
It would be “up to Ms Meng’s lawyers whether they choose to raise comments in the US as part of their defense of Ms Meng,” Freeland said.
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