Canada gets consular access to second man detained in China

Canada says it has been granted consular access to the second of the two men arrested in China over the past week.

The Canadian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that Ottawa’s Ambassador to Beijing John McCallum had met Michael Spavor a day earlier.

The ministry had earlier said the embassy’s diplomats were unable to contact Spavor since he notified the government that he was being questioned by Chinese authorities.

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in Beijing on Monday that China and Canada had “smooth” consular communication on the cases of the two Canadians and confirmed China had arranged consular access for both of them.

“At the same time, the lawful rights of these two Canadians have been guaranteed,” Hua added.

Spavor, a businessman, and Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat now working for a think-tank, were detained in China after Canadian police arrested the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Chinese telecom giant Huawei, Meng Wanzhou.

Meng, one of the vice chairs on the global tech firm’s board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Vancouver, where she is facing extradition to the United States on the suspicion that she violated the US sanctions against Iran.

Meng rejects any wrongdoing. China has demanded her release, warning of reciprocal measures against Canada if it does not let Meng go.

Hua said whatever “grandiose” pretext concocted by Canada and the United States in their case against Meng did not matter.

SS