Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US Vice President Kamala Harris (Photos courtesy of the PA and Canadian Press)
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the phone on Monday to discuss a variety of topics, including the fate of two Canadians imprisoned in China for more than two years.
It is generally accepted in the West that Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, a businessman, were arrested in China in December 2018 in retaliation for the arrest of Meng Wanzhou nine days earlier in Vancouver. The chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, which faces extradition proceedings in the United States, is accused of circumventing US sanctions and entering the Iranian market, while the two Canadians are accused of ‘spying.
Vice President Harris told Prime Minister Trudeau that the United States will do everything possible to bring these two Canadians back from China, according to a White House statement.
An American source familiar with the conversation between the two executives, who is not authorized to speak publicly, tells CBC News that the vice president in fact spoke about the plight of the two Michaels without even being prompted.
As for the press release sent by the Prime Minister’s office on Monday, it reveals that Mr. Trudeau thanked Ms. Harris for her support for the release of the two Michael.
Monday’s call, which the U.S. source said was around noon and lasted over 20 minutes, touched on a number of other topics, including the U.S.-Canada collaboration on climate change. and the fight against COVID-19.
They also discussed new US “Buy American” policies that threaten to cut Canadian companies out of tenders for US government contracts.
Recall that Justin Trudeau was the first foreign leader to receive a phone call from President Joe Biden after taking office in January. Political leaders from both countries had signaled their desire to revive Canada-U.S. Relations, although it got off to a rough start with Biden’s rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline project, which the prime minister was backing.
A long detention in China far from western eyes
Michael Spavor, left, and former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig, right, have spent more than two years in Chinese prisons under difficult conditions. (Photo: The Associated Press / International Crisis Group / The Canadian Press)
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As the more than two-year-old legal confrontation between Ottawa and Beijing over Ms. Meng’s arrest continues, conditions of detention for the two Canadians in China improved last month.
The Canadian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that it has secured an agreement with Beijing to give the two prisoners better access to their families and also greater consular access.
The deal was actually done over the past few months. However, the ministry does not give any details.
PHOTO MAXIM SHEMETOV, REUTERS
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The Foreign Office statement came as British Columbia Supreme Court Justice William Ehrcke reserved his ruling on easing restrictions on Ms Meng’s bail. Last week, the Canadian judge rejected Meng Wanzhou’s request for more flexible bail conditions.
According to him, the current restrictions are the minimum required to ensure that she does not flee Canada. The detainee would have liked to leave her home outside of curfew hours, and without the presence of security officials.
The head of the Canadian security firm appointed by the court to monitor the detainee said his staff were concerned for the health of their own officers due to the behavior of Ms. Meng who regularly comes out of her family bubble and takes part in various non-essential group activities. READ MORE HERE …
RCI with CBC News and AP
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