Canadian people call on China to release two detained Canadian citizens outside a Vancouver courthouse on March 6, 2019. (March 6, 2019)
More than two years after two Canadian citizens were arrested and held by Communist authorities, Beijing says the two are suspected of espionage and the case is about to go to trial.
Ottawa said Wednesday (March 17) that Beijing authorities say the case against “two Macs” for espionage will go to trial soon.
Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig (Chinese: 康明凯) and Michael Spavor were arrested by Chinese Communist authorities on Dec. 10, 2018. The arrests came days after the Canadian government arrested huawei‘s Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver Airport at the request of the United States.
The arrest of Canada‘s “two Michaels” by Communist authorities was widely seen as retaliation by Beijing against Canada for Meng’s arrest. Beijing rejected the accusation and formally accused the two of spying against China’s national security.
Reuters reported that Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau said in a written statement, “Our embassy in China has been notified that the court hearings for Mike Spavor and Kang Mingkai are scheduled for March 19 and March 22, respectively.”
Garneau said, “We believe they are being arbitrarily detained and remain deeply troubled by the lack of transparency in the process.”
Jason Kung, a spokesman for Global Affairs Canada, said in a statement to Reuters that Kang’s trial will take place in Beijing, while Spavor’s trial is in Dandong, Liaoning province.
Reuters quoted a Canadian government official as saying it was unclear how long the trial process would take for the two men facing espionage charges, but that “there will be a verdict.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has sought the support of President Joe Biden. In a video meeting with Trudeau in February, Biden said people cannot be used as barter chips. Biden said, “We will work together until they are safely returned.”
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