China Has Reportedly Detained a Former Canadian Diplomat
TIT FOR TAT?
Possibly retaliation for arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, who is being held in Vancouver.
David Ryder/Reuters
The International Crisis Group—a nonprofit think tank—reported Tuesday that one of its staff members, former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig, is being detained in China. The news comes amid Beijing’s outrage over the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, CFO of the Chinese company Huawei Technologies, who was arrested in Vancouver last week at the request of U.S. authorities over allegations she violated U.S. trade sanctions against Iran. Chinese officials expressed outrage at Meng’s arrest, and observers warned they might retaliate. Kovrig served for Ottawa governments in Beijing, Hong Kong, and at the U.N. in New York, before joining the ICG last year. “We are doing everything possible to secure additional information on Michael’s whereabouts as well as his prompt and safe release,” the think tank said in a written statement.
