Detention of two Canadians raises stakes in diplomatic row
BEIJING — China confirmed Thursday that it has detained two Canadian men, raising the stakes in a three-way dispute over a Chinese technology executive facing possible extradition from Canada to the United States.
Entrepreneur Michael Spavor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig were taken into custody Monday on suspicion of “engaging in activities that endanger the national security” of China, said foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang.
Lu said Canada was informed but declined to say whether the men have been provided with lawyers. He said the cases are being handled separately by local bureaus of the national intelligence agency in Beijing, where Kovrig was picked up, and the northeastern city of Dandong, where Spavor lived.
The two cases ratchet up pressure on Canada, which is holding Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Ltd. She was arrested Dec. 1 in Vancouver at the request of the United States, which wants her extradited to face bank fraud charges.
Canadian officials have been unable to contact Spavor “since he let us know he was being questioned by Chinese authorities,” said Canadian Global Affairs spokesman Guillaume Bérubé. “We are working very hard to ascertain his whereabouts and we continue to raise this with the Chinese government.”
Kovrig is an analyst on northeast Asia for the International Crisis Group, a think-tank , who took a leave of absence from the Canadian government. He lives in Hong Kong.
Spavor runs tours of North Korea along with sports, business and other exchanges through his company, Paektu Cultural Exchange.
He has met leader Kim Jong Un and was instrumental in bringing former National Basketball League star Dennis Rodman to the North’s capital, Pyongyang, in 2013.
The editor-in-chief of the Global Times, a Communist Party-run tabloid known for its provocative views, warned in a video Wednesday night of “retaliatory measures” if Canada doesn’t free Meng.
“If Canada extradites Meng to the U.S., China’s revenge will be far worse than detaining a Canadian,” said Hu Xijin, speaking in English.