Canada, US call for ‘immediate release’ of two Canadians held

Ottawa and Washington on Friday stepped up pressure on Beijing, calling for the immediate release of two Canadians detained in apparent retaliation for the arrest in Vancouver of a top Chinese tech executive on a US warrant.

The European Union also said it was backing Canada in the detentions dispute, in which Ottawa has been caught up in the rivalry between Beijing and Washington.

“We are deeply concerned by the arbitrary detention by Chinese authorities of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release,” Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement. US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino also called for the two to be freed, while European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini said through a spokesperson: “The EU supports the efforts of the Canadian government.” China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and China-based business consultant Michael Spavor on December 10, following Canada’s arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou while she was changing planes in Vancouver on December 1.

Meng was later released on bail pending the outcome of an extradition hearing. The United States -- which is locked in a trade war with Beijing -- has accused her of violating sanctions on Iran. She is now living under electronic surveillance in a luxury home in Vancouver, welcoming visitors daily and writing a blog, while Kovrig and Spavor have been held under more difficult conditions and denied access to lawyers.