Canada 'will be there' to help two Michaels after their detention in China: Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pushing back on the notion that Canada's willingness to help two citi‐ zens who were detained in China is an acknowledge‐ ment they engaged in espi‐ onage on Ottawa's behalf.

The federal government will be there to help Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor rebuild their lives after they were arbitrarily imprisoned in China for three years, Trudeau said Thursday.

Canada has assisted Kovrig and Spavor from the beginning because China chose to use them as pawns in its geopolitical games, Trudeau told a news confer‐ ence in Toronto.

"We've been there to sup‐ port the two Michaels, who went through unimaginable difficulties, being arbitrarily detained by China," he said. "We will continue to be there to support them."

He said China arrested the Canadians for political reasons and there was "ab‐ solutely no justification, no reason, no excuse for them to do that."

WATCH | China's deten‐ tion of Spavor and Kovrig was arbitrary and political, Trudeau says

Trudeau's comments came a day after John Phillips, a lawyer for Spavor, indicated his client had reached a settlement with the federal government over the detention.

Phillips said in an email that the matter between Spavor and the government had been "resolved." Citing two sources, Radio-Canada reported that the total settle‐ ment is for $7 million.

Trudeau declined to say Thursday whether Ottawa had provided compensation to Kovrig, citing a need for confidentiality.

Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, a senior executive of Chinese firm Huawei Tech‐ nologies, in December 2018 at the request of the United States, where she faced charges related to American sanctions against Iran.

The move clearly angered Beijing, and Kovrig and Spavor - two Canadians working in China - were ar‐ rested soon after on accusa‐ tions of endangering national security, a move widely seen as retaliation against Ottawa.

Kovrig and Spavor were both convicted of spying in 2021 in closed Chinese courts. Canada and many al‐ lies said the process amoun‐ ted to arbitrary detention on bogus charges in an unac‐ countable justice system.

The U.S. worked out a de‐ ferred prosecution agreement in Meng's case, al‐ lowing for her release, and Beijing permitted the two Michaels, as they came to be known, to fly home in Sep‐ tember 2021.