Canadian ex-diplomat detained in China amid spat over Huawei executive’s detention

A person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Michael Kovrig was detained on Monday night in the Chinese capital city of Beijing during one of his regular visits to the city.

“Obviously we are aware of the situation of a Canadian detained in China,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday.

He added, “We have been in direct contact with the Chinese diplomats and representatives. We are engaged on the file, which we take very seriously, and we are providing consular assistance to the family.”

Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Canadian officials were “sparing no effort” to make sure Kovrig is safe and appropriately treated.

“Canadian diplomatic officials have been in touch with their Chinese counterparts to explain how seriously Canadians view this,” Goodale said. 

“Clearly we are deeply concerned and [Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland] and her officials will be taking all appropriate action,” he pointed out.

Kovrig was working in Hong Kong as the North East Asia senior adviser for the International Crisis Group.

The Brussels-based non-governmental organization said in a statement that it was doing everything possible to obtain additional information about Kovrig’s whereabouts, and that it would work to ensure his prompt release.

The International Crisis Group said Kovrig has been one of its full-time experts since February 2017.

Kovrig's detention comes after China warned Canada of consequences for its recent arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer for the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, at Vancouver's airport on December 1.

 The United States is seeking to have Meng extradited on allegations that she tried to bypass American trade sanctions on Iran.

China says Canada has treated Meng in an “inhumane” manner. Chinese media reports say she has not been offered adequate medical care during her detention.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said during a daily press briefing on Tuesday that the Chinese government was not informed by Canada of her arrest and that Beijing “learned this through other channels.”

Wang also pointed to the escalating tariff war between the US and China, calling on Washington to stop treating trade between the two countries as a “zero-sum game.”

“Take a more positive look at China’s development, and constantly expand the space and prospects for mutual benefit,” he said.
“There is no need to artificially create new opponents, and an even greater need to avoid self-fulfilling prophecies.”

Meng’s arrest has further intensified US-China tensions despite an apparent truce in their trade war, leading to the summoning of both the Canadian and US ambassadors by Beijing over the weekend.

China's Deputy Foreign Minister Le Yucheng called in Canada's Ambassador to China, John McCallum, on Saturday to express Beijing's anger over Meng's  detention.

Chinese authorities also called in American Ambassador Terry Branstad last Sunday. 

Meng is requesting bail on grounds that she is in poor health. Her lawyer suggested that her husband could serve as her guarantor. 

A Canadian judge on Monday questioned whether her husband would be an appropriate choice, and raised questions about whether the electronic monitor that plans to monitor her at one of her two multimillion-dollar homes while she is awaiting her extradition hearing could be hacked.