Canada: China may have detained second national
224 views · Published 17 December 2018 · 2:44 · Indexed 26 September 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(12 Dec 2018) Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland raised the possibility that a second Canadian citizen may have been detained in China, just days after Beijing detained a former Canadian diplomat in a diplomatic row that appears to be growing. Freeland said the man "got in touch" with Canadian officials after being questioned by Chinese authorities. She said the Canadian government has not been able to make contact with him since then, and is currently trying to determine his whereabouts. She also said that Ottawa has been in touch with Chinese officials, and has also been communicating with the man's family. However, she declined to identify the individual or provide any description about his occupation or activities in China. Earlier this week, China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig in a move that came days after Beijing warned Ottawa of severe consequences the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, a top Chinese corporate executive. Canadian authorities arrested Meng at the request of the U.S., which alleges she tried to bypass American trade sanctions on Iran and lied to U.S. banks about her actions. Wednesday, Freeland repeated her government's assertion that the arrest, which has enraged China, is keeping with international laws on extradition and was a response to a lawful request from U.S. law enforcement. "Our legal system is independent from political interference," she said. "This is something that we cherish and is an essential part of Canadian democracy." Freeland also said that Ottawa has been in direct contact with Chinese diplomats and representatives over Kovrig's arrest. "We are very seized of this issue, and we're going to keep on working on it," she said. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/2e280c52e5e853926e94c3babade457b
