This archive report was first published on 19 June 2020.
June 19, 2020, marked a significant escalation in the diplomatic tensions between China and Canada as Beijing formally charged two Canadians with espionage. The move comes after a prolonged period of detention for Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, a businessman.
The charges against the two Canadians were announced by the Supreme People's Procuratorate, which stated that they were suspected of foreign espionage and providing state secrets. This development has sparked widespread concern and condemnation from the international community.
The arrest of Kovrig and Spavor in December 2018 was widely seen as a retaliatory move by China following the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada on a US warrant. Meng's case has been ongoing, with a Canadian judge ruling in May that proceedings to extradite her to the United States would go ahead.
China's actions have damaged diplomatic relations between the two countries, leading to a significant decline in trade and the blocking of billions of dollars' worth of Canadian agricultural exports. The situation has also raised concerns about the well-being of the two Canadians, who have been subjected to prolonged detention and interrogation.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expressed his government's commitment to upholding the principles of an independent judiciary and has called for the release of Kovrig and Spavor, who have been arbitrarily detained for over 500 days.
