The two Canadian men had been detained by China in December 2018, just over a week after the RCMP arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on a U.S. extradition warrant.

Canada has pressed for the release of the two Canadians who China detained this month. The two were detained after Canadian police arrested Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's [HWT.UL] chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, on Dec. 1.

The statement stopped short of joining Canada in calling on Beijing to immediately release the two detained Canadians, as requested by the petition.

Days later, Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were detained in China in what was widely seen as a case of “hostage diplomacy” by Beijing.

China detained two Canadians in December just days after Canada arrested Chinese high-tech executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on a U.S. extradition warrant.

Soon after Meng’s arrest, Beijing detained two Canadians—Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig—who are still being held in Chinese prisons.

(Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images) China also detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor weeks after Meng's arrest, accusing them of vague national security crimes.

Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arbitrarly detained in China in December 2018, shortly after Canada arrested Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver at the behest of the U.S. government.

DANDONG, China—China put on trial one of two Canadians detained for more than two years in apparent retaliation for Canada’s arrest of a senior Chinese telecom executive.

Spavor and Canadian Michael Kovrig were detained in China in December 2018 and were formally charged with spying in June 2020.

A Canadian delegation travelled to Beijing on Jan. 8 to call for the release of detained Canadians Spavor and Kovrig.

However, when the CCP detained two Canadian citizens, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, for more than 1,000 days, it heightened the concerns among Canadians about CCP activities.

It was widely seen as retaliation when, just days later, China detained Canadian former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, and later sentenced Canadians Robert Schellenberg and Fan Wei to death for drug offences.

Eight MPs presented a petition in the House of Commons on Oct. 30 urging Ottawa to demand that the Chinese regime release a Canadian citizen and the family members of 12 others detained for practising Falun Gong.

Shortly afterward, Beijing detained two Canadian men—Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor—who were later charged for spying and are still being held.

The bans were eventually lifted in 2022 following the release of Meng in 2021, with China also releasing Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig after detaining them in apparent retaliation for over 1,000 days.

At the same time, the Chinese regime indicated this week that it is set to begin trials of two Canadians detained in December 2018 on spying charges soon after Canadian police detained Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of telecoms equipment company

The arrests of the detained Canadians is largely viewed as retaliation for the December arrest of Chinese high tech executive Meng Wanzhou.

Ho was previously arrested and briefly detained in December. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, who had voiced her concern following Ho's first arrest, reiterated that sentiment on Wednesday.

That happened not long after Canadian police detained Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications equipment titan Huawei Technologies Co Ltd., on a U.S. warrant.

"If any other country had detained Canadians in a similar manner, all government-sponsored exchanges would immediately be put on hold," said Mulroney.

After being detained for nearly two weeks by U.S. immigration officers, a Canadian woman is now back home in Vancouver, her mother confirmed.

Chinese authorities detained two Canadians shortly after Meng's arrest and last month formally charged them with espionage. China also has cut off imports of key Canadian commodities in an effort to force Meng's return.

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

Sherman also pressed for the release of some Americans and Canadians detained in China, saying “people are not bargaining chips,” and raised concern about pressure on foreign journalists in China.

Soon after, Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were detained in China, in a move that was widely seen as retaliation.

Spavor, who were arbitrarily detained in China.

Meng's arrest has infuriated China, which has since detained two Canadians in moves that have pushed Canada-China diplomatic relations to a new low.

Canadians Detained in China After Huawei CFO Arrest Yang's disappearance comes several weeks after two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, were detained in China.

"The evidence clearly demonstrates that those returned to the U.S. by Canadian officials are detained as a penalty." The Federal Court of Appeal overturned her decision in 2021.