VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — China has detained a former Canadian diplomat in Beijing in apparent retaliation for the jailing of a top Chinese executive at the request of the United States, escalating a legal and diplomatic wrangle among the three countries.
Relations were shaken by Canada’s arrest of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei and daughter of its founder. Canadian authorities detained Meng on Dec. 1 during a layover at the Vancouver airport. The U.S. accuses Huawei of violating American economic sanctions against Iran.
The Huawei case has threatened to complicate U.S.-China efforts to resolve a bitter trade dispute — though the two countries signaled Tuesday they are preparing to resume talks.
Heightening tension between China and Canada, Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale confirmed Tuesday a former Canadian diplomat had been detained in Beijing. The detention came after China warned Canada of consequences for Meng’s arrest.
“We’re deeply concerned,” Goodale said. “A Canadian is obviously in difficulty in China. … We are sparing no effort to do everything we possibly can to look after his safety.”
Michael Kovrig, who previously worked as a diplomat in Beijing, Hong Kong and the United Nations, was taken into custody Monday night during one of his regular visits to Beijing, according to a spokesman for International Crisis Group, where Kovrig now works as North East Asia adviser based in Hong Kong.
Canada had been bracing for retaliation for Meng’ arrest. The Canadian province of British Columbia canceled a trade mission to China amid fears China could detain Canadians to put pressure on Ottawa over Meng’s detention.
”In China there is no coincidence,” Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said of Kovrig’s detention. “Unfortunately Canada is caught in the middle of this dispute between the U.S and China. Because China cannot kick the U.S. they turn to the next target.”
In Vancouver, meanwhile, Meng appeared in court for a third day Tuesday as she sought release on bail.
Meng’s lawyer, David Martin, said his team had worked through the night to satisfy concerns about the Chinese executive’s potential release.
Martin said they contacted four people willing to put up money to guarantee that Meng won’t flee. One is a real-estate agent who met Meng in 2009 and sold two properties to her and her husband. The man has pledged his home, valued at $1.3 million, and said he understands he would lose it if Meng violated the conditions of her release.
Another said he got to know Meng while working at Huawei in China in the mid-1990s. He said he vouches for Meng’s character to comply with any conditions imposed by the British Columbia Supreme Court and has pledged $373,000 from the equity on his home in Vancouver, which is valued at $1 million.