A Canadian entrepreneur was sentenced to 11 years in prison Wednesday in a spying case linked to Beijing鈥檚 effort to push his country to release an executive of tech giant Huawei, prompting an unusual joint show of support for Canada by the United States and 24 other governments.
China is stepping up pressure as a Canadian judge hears final arguments about whether to send the Huawei executive to the United States to face charges related to possible violations of trade sanctions on Iran. On Tuesday, a court rejected another Canadian鈥檚 appeal of his sentence in a drug case that was abruptly increased to death after the executive鈥檚 arrest.
Entrepreneur Michael Spavor and a former Canadian diplomat were detained in what critics labeled 鈥渉ostage politics鈥� after Huawei鈥檚 Meng Wanzhou was arrested Dec. 1, 2018, at the Vancouver airport.
Spavor was sentenced by a court in Dandong, about 210 miles (340 kilometers) east of Beijing on the North Korean border. The government has released few details other than to accuse Spavor of passing along sensitive information to the former diplomat, Michael Kovrig, beginning in 2017. Both have been held in isolation and have little contact with Canadian diplomats.
The Canadian government condemned Spavor鈥檚 sentence. It said he and Kovrig are 鈥渄etained arbitrarily鈥� and called for their immediate release.
The legal process in Spavor鈥檚 case 鈥渓acked both fairness and transparency,鈥� said Ambassador Dominic Barton outside a detention center where the sentence was announced.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau later said the trial 鈥渄id not satisfy even the minimum standards required by international law.鈥�
Spavor has two weeks to decide whether to appeal, according to Barton.
鈥淲hile we disagree with the charges, we realize that this is the next step in the process to bring Michael home, and we will continue to support him through this challenging time,鈥� Spavor鈥檚 family said in a statement.
鈥淢ichael鈥檚 life passion has been to bring different cultures together through tourism and events shared between the Korean peninsula and other countries including China and Canada,鈥� his family said. 鈥淭his situation has not dampened, but strengthened his passion.鈥�
Diplomats from the United States, Japan, Britain, Australia, Germany and other European countries plus the European Union gathered at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing in a show of support. They also have issued separate appeals for Spavor and Kovrig to receive fair trials or to be released.
鈥淭he practice of arbitrarily detaining individuals to exercise leverage over foreign governments is completely unacceptable,鈥� U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. 鈥淧eople should never be used as bargaining chips.鈥�
Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau said his country was 鈥渕oved by the demonstration by solidarity from our international partners.鈥�
Meng, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Ltd. and daughter of the company鈥檚 founder, was arrested on U.S. charges of lying to the Hong Kong arm of the British bank HSBC about possible dealings with Iran in violation of trade sanctions.
Meng鈥檚 lawyers argue the case is politically motivated and what she is accused of isn鈥檛 a crime in Canada.
China鈥檚 government has criticized the arrest as part of U.S. efforts to hamper its technology development. Huawei, a maker of network equipment and smartphones, is China鈥檚 first global tech brand and is at the center of U.S.-Chinese tension over technology and the security of information systems.
Beijing denies there is a connection between Meng鈥檚 case and the arrests of Spavor and Kovrig, but Chinese officials and state media frequently mention the two men in relation to whether or not Meng is allowed to return to China.
Earlier, Barton said he didn鈥檛 think it was a coincidence the cases in China were happening while Meng鈥檚 case was advancing in Vancouver.
Asked whether Canada was negotiating over possibly sending Meng home in exchange for the release of detained Canadians, Barton said, 鈥渢here are intensive efforts and discussions. I don鈥檛 want to talk in any detail about that. But that will continue.鈥�
Diplomats from the United States and Germany went to the detention center in Dandong but weren鈥檛 allowed in, according to Barton.
鈥淥ur collective presence and voice send a strong message to China and the Chinese government that the eyes of the world are watching,鈥� the ambassador said.
Barton said Chinese authorities cited photos taken by Spavor at airports that included military aircraft.
鈥淎 lot of it was around the photo evidence,鈥� the ambassador said. 鈥淗e obviously had a different view on that.鈥�
Spavor worked in China but had extensive links with North Korea in tourism and other commercial ventures that brought him into contact with the isolated communist state鈥檚 leadership. The Canadian Embassy noted Spavor had been held for 975 days as of Wednesday.
Barton met with Spavor after the sentencing and said he sent three messages: 鈥淭hank you for all your support, it means a lot to me. Two, I am in good spirits. And three, I want to get home.鈥�
鈥淗e鈥檚 strong, resilient, focused on what鈥檚 happening,鈥� Barton said. 鈥淲e had a very good conversation.鈥�
Kovrig, who also was detained in December 2018, stood trial in March. There has been no word on when a verdict might be announced.
On Tuesday, a Chinese court rejected the appeal of Robert Schellenberg, whose 15-year prison term for drug smuggling was abruptly increased to death in January 2019 following Meng鈥檚 arrest. The case was sent to China鈥檚 supreme court for a mandatory review before it can be carried out.
Canada and other countries, including Australia and the Philippines, face trade boycotts and other Chinese pressure in disputes with Beijing over human rights, the coronavirus and control of the South China Sea. The United States has warned American travelers face a 鈥渉eightened risk of arbitrary detention鈥� in China for reasons other than to enforce laws.
China has tried to pressure Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 government by imposing restrictions on imports of canola seed oil and other products from Canada.
Meanwhile, Beijing is blocking imports of Australian wheat, wine and other products after its government called for an investigation into the origin of the coronavirus pandemic.
鈥擩oe Mcdonald And Ng Han Guan, The Associated Press
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