Two Canadians Charged with Espionage against China, Escalating Diplomatic Rift

By Staff, Agencies

China formally charged two Canadians with espionage over 18 months after their arrest as their prosecution began Friday.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate said that ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor were "suspected of foreign espionage" and "providing state secrets."

The two were detained shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou -- a key executive with Huawei, China's flagship telecom giant, sought in the US over alleged fraud, violations of US sanctions on Iran and theft of intellectual property.

Commentators widely saw China's action against Kovrig and Spavor as an act of retaliation as it lambasted Canada for Wanzhou's arrest, with Canada decrying their detention as arbitrary.

The charges were announced weeks after a key ruling in the Meng case, where a Canadian judge ruled that proceedings for her extradition to the US could go ahead, opening a new chapter in the prolonged legal battle over her future.

Diplomatic relations between Canada and China have hit rock bottom over the arrests, damaging trade between the countries.

China's Embassy in Ottawa accused the United States of trying "to bring down Huawei," and China has blocked billions of dollars' worth of Canadian agricultural exports.