China sheds little light on detention of Canadian Michael Kovrig

China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday denied knowledge of the detention of a former Canadian diplomat, a day afterChinese citizens rejoiced over a Canadian court's decision to release a top Huawei Technologies executive on bail.

While declining to confirm Michael Kovrig's detention, Foreign Ministry spokespersonLu Kang said the International Crisis Group, where Kovrig is a Hong-Kong-based analyst, was not registered in China and its activities in the country were illegal.

"I do not have information to provide you here," he said. "If there is such a thing, please do not worry. It is assured that China's relevant departments will definitely handle it according to law."

Because Kovrig's organization is not registered as a non-governmental organization in China, "once its staff become engaged in activities in China, it has already violated the law," Lu said.

Canadian officials have confirmed Kovrig's detention. He served as a diplomat in Beijing and Hong Kong until 2016, but is on a leave of absence from the Canadian foreign service so has no special status.

His new employer, The International Crisis Group, said he was taken into custody Monday night by the Beijing Bureau of Chinese State Security, which handles intelligence and counterintelligence matters in the Chinese capital.

Rob Malley, president of the Brussels-based research and foreign policy group, said he thinks Kovrig was in Beijing on personal matters at the time of his arrest and was definitely not there for any illegal purpose or for any reason that would undermine Chinese national security.

Listen here to the Front Burnerpodcast on how the Huawei arrest is playing out in China:

In a statement Wednesday the ICG called for Kovrig'simmediate release, expressing concern for his health and safety.

"Throughout his time with the organization, Michael has distinguished himself for hisrigorousand impartial reporting, regularly interviewing Chinese officials to accurately reflect their views in our work," theICGstatement said in part, calling him a "noted and sought-after contributor on security issues in North East Asia."

It's unclear that Canadian officials have been granted consular access to Kovrig, as required by an agreement in place between China and Canada. The Chinese are also required to inform Canadian officials of the reasons for his detention.

Canadianofficials from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on down continue to repeat thatthe government is "seized" with this case andtaking it very seriously. Officials are engaging with the Chinese andproviding support to Kovrig's family.

The Chinese state-run news agencyXinhuasaid Kovrigwas questioned by the Beijing National Security Bureau on Tuesday. The government news organization said he was suspected of engaging in activities that endanger China's national security.

Huawei executive now out on bail

Kovrig's detention comes in the wake of a diplomatic furor after Huawei Technologies' chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, was detained in Vancouver onDec. 1 at the request of U.S. officials.

Meng Wanzhou leaves court Tuesday evening

6 years ago

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Huawei official Meng Wanzhou, arrested on a U.S. warrant, was released on $10 million bail

After three days of hearings, a British Columbia judgegranted bail Tuesday of $10 millionto Meng, but required her to wear an ankle bracelet, surrender her passports, stay in Vancouver and its suburbs and confine herself to one of her two Vancouver homes from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The U.S. has accused Huawei of using a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment to Iran in violation of American sanctions, another complication in relations between the superpowers amid their high-stakes U.S.-China trade talks.

Lu repeated China's demand for the immediate release of Meng, whose father founded Huawei, the Shenzhen-based leading telecommunications equipment maker. Huawei has strong connections to the Chinese government and military, has repeatedly denied allegations it is involved in spying.

In an interview Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he would intervene in Meng'scase if it would be in the interests of the U.S. The Americans and the Chinese are in the middle of a 90-day effort to negotiate a truce in their tradewar, following the imposition of hundreds of billions of dollars worth of escalating tariffs on each other's products.

Canada maintains that Meng was arrested because she is wanted on fraud charges in connection with these alleged sanctions violations: under its extradition treaty with the U.S., Canada was required to detain her when she passed through.

"Regardless of what goes on in other countries, Canada is and will always remain a country of the rule of law," Trudeau said headinginto the Liberal caucus meeting on Parliament Hill on Wednesday.