On that note, I want to thank president Michel and president von der Leyen for their continued and vocal support for the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.”

However, IPAC members noted that Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were subject to human rights abuses with no Canadian consular visitation allowed, which had been in violation of the CCP agreements.

The poll comes as the relationship between Canada and China continues to deteriorate in recent years, starting with China’s arbitrary detention of two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

Kovrig and Spavor were finally charged in June 2020 under China's broadly defined national security laws. Canadian Michael Spavor takes part in an interview in Yangi, China, on March 2, 2017.

Her predecessor, Dominic Barton, left the position last December, a few months after Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were released from having been arbitrarily detained by Beijing for over 1,000 days.

The poll observed that sentiment against the Chinese regime continues even after the freeing of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig—an apparent act of “hostage diplomacy” by Beijing in exchange for the release of Huawei’s chief financial officer

Security Council meeting, called on Beijing to release Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor for Christmas, prompting a harsh rebuke from China's deputy U.N. envoy in response.

In December 2018, two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arrested in China in retaliation for the arrest of Huawei’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, in Canada.

Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

The Liberal government previously delayed the decision due to concerns about the safety of the two Canadians—Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor—who were imprisoned in China.

Shortly after Meng’s arrest, the Chinese regime arbitrarily detained two Canadians, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, on charges of espionage, a move widely seen as a retaliation against Canada.

The case has caused a diplomatic chill between Canada and China, which soon after Meng's arrest detained two Canadian citizens, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, on espionage charges.

Canada’s relationship with China has now been strained for years, ever since the arrest of former Huawei CFO Meng Wenzhou in December 2018 and the detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor shortly thereafter. 

A March 22 article by Global News, which cited national security sources, said Dong advised Chinese consul general in Toronto, Han Tao, to hold off on releasing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who had at that time been imprisoned in China for over

Canada-China relations took a nosedive in 2018 after Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arrested in China in what was dubbed "hostage diplomacy" following Ottawa's detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at the request of Washington, which wanted

In particular, Canada thanked its European allies for continued support for the two Canadian citizens—Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor—who have been arbitrarily detained by Chinese authorities since December 2018.

“It’s fantastic to be back in Canada, and I’m immensely grateful for everybody who worked so hard to bring [me and Michael Spavor] back home,” the former diplomat told reporters at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

“We join our partners in calling on Beijing to immediately release the two arbitrarily detained Canadians, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig,” Blinken wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.

Shortly after Meng's arrest in December 2018, China detained two Canadians—Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor—in what is widely seen as a retaliation against Canada. The Epoch Times reached out to the CCFPA for comment but didn't hear back.

On Oct. 10, China granted consular access to Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor, both Canadians, for the first time since January.

The relations took a severe downturn in 2018 when Canada arrested Huawei CFO Meng Wangzhou in response to an extradition request from the U.S., with China retaliating by arbitrarily detaining Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

The request came just days after Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were released from Chinese captivity on Sept. 25, 2021.

President Joe Biden said the United States will work with Canada to help secure the release of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, who are currently detained in China.

The level of support for a boycott remains the same as in a survey conducted by Research Co. in August, when Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were still imprisoned in China.

businessman Michael Spavor.

Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. says Washington did not make China’s release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor a condition of the resolution of the charges against Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou. “Absolutely not.

Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne fired back at Beijing for criticizing Ottawa’s efforts in building an international alliance to free Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor from Chinese prisons.

Days later, China arrested Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, and their trial in March 2021 got little attention in the United States.

Ottawa’s Indo-Pacific strategy emerged in the aftermath of its three-year diplomatic freeze with China once Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig returned safely to Canada in September.

In 2018, China locked Canadian agricultural imports and also imprisoned Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor for over 1,000 days in a move that is widely regarded as retaliation for the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver