Canadian Citizen Being Punished for Working Illegally – Beijing

07:25 GMT, 20 December 2018

A third Canadian citizen has recently been detained in China after a row erupted between the two countries over the arrest of an executive of the tech giant Huawei in Vancouver, according to media reports.

Sputnik

A Canadian national is undergoing "administrative punishment" for working illegally, China's Foreign Ministry has stated. There is clear consular communication between Canada and China, ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing.

Earlier this month, Chinese authorities detained ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor on charges of threatening national security.

Beijing: Detained Canadian May Have Broken Foreign NGO Law

12 December 2018, 06:56 GMT

Kovrig is a former Canadian diplomat who is currently working for the International Crisis Group in China. He was detained on 10 December. Spavor is the founder of a China-based company that carries out cultural exchanges with North Korea. He is reportedly acquainted with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Ties between Canada and China soured after Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of its founder, was arrested on 1 December on suspicion of failing to comply with the US sanctions against Iran. She is facing extradition. The move was slammed by Beijing which called on Ottawa to release the official.