China accuses 2 Canadians of spying amid Huawei row

BEIJING: China accused two detained Canadian citizens on Monday of stealing “sensitive intelligence”. They are a former diplomat, Michael Kovrig, and businessman Michael Spavor.

They had been detained shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, a top executive of Chinese giant Huawei Technologies in early December. The charges imposed on them have now been announced immediately after Canada decided to extradite Meng to face trial in the US despite repeated requests from China not to do so.

The ruling Communist Party’s Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission said Kovrig had often entered China using an ordinary passport and business visas, “stealing and spying on sensitive Chinese information and intelligence via a contact in China”.

It said, “Spavor was Kovrig’s main contact and provided him with intelligence”. Kovrig severely violated Chinese laws and China will start judicial proceedings in due course, the commission said.

“China is a country with rule of law and will firmly crack down on criminal acts that severely undermine national security,” it said.

Chinese officials, scholars and the media have reacted angrily against Canada’s actions against Meng. The decision comes in the midst of the annual session of the two Houses of the Chinese Parliament.

The Huawei controversy, which involves US accusations of banking and wire fraud against Meng, will figure during the proceedings in the two Houses.

Kovrig is employed by the International Crisis Group (ICG), which focuses on conflict resolution, and has denied any involvement in espionage.

“Michael's work for Crisis Group has been entirely transparent and in the open as all who follow his work can attest. Vague and unsubstantiated accusations against him are unwarranted and unfair,” said ICG director Hugh Pope.