China Has Detained 13 Canadians Since Huawei Executive’s Arrest

China has detained 13 Canadians since the high-profile arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada in December, The Globe and Mail reports. Previously, only three Canadians—Michael Kovrig, Michael Spavor, and Sarah McIver—were publicly known to have been detained in China since Meng’s arrest. Guillaume Bérubé, a Global Affairs Canada spokesperson, confirmed the new detentions on Thursday. “Global Affairs Canada is aware of 13 Canadian citizens having been detained in China, excluding Hong Kong, since December 1, 2018. Of those, we can confirm that at least eight have been released,” Bérubé told The Globe and Mail in an email. The detainees were reportedly picked up after China promised retaliation for Meng’s arrest. Canada arrested Meng, the company’s chief financial officer, over allegations she violated U.S. trade sanctions against Iran. Meng is the daughter of the company’s founder, Ren Zhengfei.