“I raised the status of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig and called for their immediate release,” he wrote. “At every opportunity before they returned home, I adamantly demanded their release to Canada without delay.

The Tory leader also noted that China has executed four Canadian citizens in recent days and previously took Canadians "hostage," in an apparent reference to Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, two Canadians released by Beijing in September 2021, are further examples, according to the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC).

A renowned case is Beijing's retaliatory arrests of former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor in 2018, immediately following Canada's arrest of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou at the request of the United States

Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig—one of the "two Michaels" subject to arbitrary detention in Bejing in 2018—has told a Senate inquiry that Australia must "sharpen [its] tools to deny, deter and punish" the illegal imprisonment of its citizens abroad

Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor stand as they are recognized before an address from U.S. President Joe Biden in the Canadian House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada, on March 24, 2023.

Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who had been detained for over a thousand days in apparent retaliation for Canada acting on a U.S. extradition warrant for Huawei executive Meng Wangzhou, were released a few days later.

Joly warned that Beijing would probably retaliate if the diplomat is expelled and said she was drawing from the experience of the arbitrary detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

Bilateral relations had been deteriorating since 2018, when China arbitrarily detained Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in apparent retaliation for the detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on a U.S. extradition warrant.

The Canada–China relationship has deteriorated amid conflicts, including Canada’s arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou and China’s subsequent detention of two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, widely regarded as retaliatory hostage diplomacy

Scheer said at the time, highlighting Beijing's arbitrary detention of Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were arbitrarily detained in China for over three years, received a standing ovation in the House of Commons ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden's address on March 24.

Beijing arrested Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in 2018 to gain the release of Huawei’s chief financial officer. Moscow arrested basketball star Brittney Griner in 2022 and journalist Evan Gershkovich in 2023.

The Chinese regime shortly thereafter detained Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in a move widely regarded as retaliation, with the two men not released until September 2021, nearly three years later.

Lilly noted that the sanction coincided not only with the dispute over Canada's arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wangzhou and Beijing's subsequent detention of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, but also with China having a significant canola

Shi pointed to the 2018 detention of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor as evidence that Beijing has previously targeted foreign nationals during political and diplomatic disputes.

But he notes that after China detained Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in retaliation for the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver in 2018 on a U.S. extradition request, and following the verbal threats made by Chinese

Global published a story last week, citing unidentified security sources who alleged Dong told a Chinese diplomat in February 2021 that releasing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were detained in China, would benefit the federal Conservatives.

Beijing in apparent retaliation detained Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor for more than 1,000 days.

Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig, who was detained in China in 2018 for more than 1,000 days along with fellow Canadian Michael Spavor following Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou’s arrest in Vancouver, has expressed a similar view, saying that Canada

It resulted in China’s arrest of Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, as well as the blocking of Canada’s export of canola and other products to China for a period of time.

Dong resigned from the federal Liberal caucus in March shortly after Global News reported that he had allegedly told a Chinese diplomat in 2021 that Beijing should hold off on releasing Canadian prisoners Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were detained

China in response detained Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor for over 1,000 days.

Dong and the Chinese consul general in Toronto discussed the case of Canadian diplomats Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were held captive in China in apparent retaliation for Canada's arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wangzhou.

Dong left the Liberal caucus to sit as an Independent after Global News reported he had allegedly advised the Chinese consulate not to release Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor who were being arbitrarily detained in China because it would help

Dong left the Liberal Party in March 2023 after Global News published allegations drawn from national security leaks suggesting he had provided advice to the Chinese consul general in Toronto about the detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

His resignation came on the heels of a Global News report that said in February 2021 he had advised Han Tao, the Chinese consul general in Toronto, that Beijing should delay releasing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

Trudeau highlighted Beijing's detention of Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

Two Canadian nationals, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, were arrested in China days later in an apparent act of retaliation.

Relations between the two countries plunged into turmoil at the end of 2018 due to the Meng Wangzhou affair, with Beijing arbitrarily detaining Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Mr.