The Latest: Canada raises detention of citizen with China

TORONTO (AP) — The Latest on the detention of a former Canadian diplomat in China (all times local):

Canada's Global Affairs Department says it's aware of the detention of a Canadian citizen in China and has raised the case with the Chinese government.

The department says in a statement it is "seized with this case" and is providing consular assistance to the family of the Canadian. It declined to say more or state his name.

But a person familiar with the matter says former diplomat Michael Kovrig was detained Monday night in Beijing during one of his regular visits to the city. The person spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to speak publicly on the matter.

The detention follows Chinese warnings to Canada of consequences for its recent arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver's airport.

Canada's public safety minister says the government is deeply concerned about a Canadian detained in China — confirming that a former Canadian diplomat is being held in Beijing amid a dispute between the two counties over Canada's arrest of a Chinese executive.

Minister Ralph Goodale said Tuesday the government is sparing no effort to look after the Canadian's safety. The comment came in response to a question about reports that former diplomat Michael Kovrig had been arrested in China, though he did not mention him by name.

The detention follows Chinese warnings to Canada of consequences for its recent arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver's airport.

Goodale said there is no explicit indication at this point that the cases are related and he said Canada is working to determine why he was detained.

A former Canadian diplomat has been detained while visiting Beijing.

A person familiar with the matter says Michael Kovrig was detained Monday night in Beijing during one of his regular visits to the city. The person spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to speak publicly on the matter.

The International Crisis Group said earlier Tuesday it was aware of reports that its North East Asia senior adviser has been detained. The Hong Kong-based Kovrig had served as the political lead for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's trip to that city in 2016.

The Brussels-based non-governmental organization said in a statement that it's doing everything possible to obtain additional information about Kovrig's whereabouts and that it will work to ensure his prompt release.

The detention comes after China warned Canada of consequences for its recent arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver's airport. It's unclear if there's any link between the cases.

The International Crisis Group said Kovrig has been one of its full-time experts since February 2017.</s>Shanghai/Beijing: A former Canadian diplomat has been detained in China, two sources said on Tuesday, and his current employer, the International Crisis Group, said it was seeking his prompt and safe release.

Michael Kovrig's detention comes after police in Canada arrested the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies on December 1 at the request of US authorities, a move that has infuriated Beijing.

It was not immediately clear if the cases were related, but the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver has stoked fears of reprisals against the foreign business community in China.

"International Crisis Group is aware of reports that its North East Asia senior adviser, Michael Kovrig, has been detained in China," the think tank said in a statement.</s>A Victoria woman who spent 10 years working alongside a former Canadian diplomat detained in China says she's shocked at news of his arrest.

News broke Tuesday that Michael Kovrig, currently the North East Asia senior adviser for the International Crisis Group, was arrested for unspecified reasons in China.

Kovrig is an ex-diplomat who once worked as a lead on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's 2016 visit to Hong Kong.

His arrest came after China warned Canada of consequences relating to the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver's airport at the behest of U.S. officials, but it's not yet clear if there's a link between the cases.

Katie McGowan lives in Victoria but spent 10 years working in China alongside Kovrig on various projects as a business strategist.

She said she's stunned, since Kovrig was such an ambassador for China.

"He is such a great guy, he's an advocate for China, he has studied the Chinese language, he loves the Chinese culture," McGowan told CTV News.

She said in her opinion, Kovrig's arrest is a direct retaliation for Meng's arrest at the Vancouver airport.

"My hope would be that we can remember that it's America that perhaps triggered this, and the timing is very suspicious," she said. "We just signed NAFTA 2.0 and it's got the clause in there in section 32.10 that says we have to let them know if we do deals with China, and Trump's just strong-armed into trying to get them to do a deal by March 2019."

She said she hopes both Canadian and Chinese officials remember their long history of cooperation in dealing with the Kovrig situation.

"We've been friends for a long time," she said. "That's a long history there."

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said the arrest "has our attention" and Trudeau said the government has been in touch with Chinese diplomats.</s>TORONTO (AP) - A former Canadian diplomat reportedly has been arrested in China.

The International Crisis Group said Tuesday it’s aware of reports that its North East Asia senior adviser Michael Kovrig has been detained.

The Brussels-based non-governmental organization said in a statement that it’s doing everything possible to obtain additional information about Kovrig’s whereabouts and that it will work to ensure his prompt release.

The Globe and Mail in Toronto and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported the arrest, citing unnamed sources.

Reports of Kovrig’s detention come after China warned Canada of consequences for its recent arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver’s airport. It’s unclear if there’s any link between the cases.

The International Crisis Group said Kovrig has been one of its full-time experts since February 2017.

According to the organization’s website, Kovrig previously worked as a Canadian diplomat in Beijing and Hong Kong and at the United Nations.

Former Canadian Liberal leader Bob Rae said it’s clear why he’s been detained.</s>A former Canadian diplomat has been detained in China, two sources said on Tuesday, and his current employer, the International Crisis Group, said it was seeking his prompt and safe release.

Michael Kovrig’s detention comes after police in Canada arrested the chief financial officer of China’s Huawei Technologies Co Ltd on Dec. 1 at the request of U.S. authorities, a move that infuriated Beijing.

READ MORE: Meng Wanzhou family photos hint at the Huawei CFO’s life in Vancouver

It was not immediately clear if the cases were related, but the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver has stoked fears of reprisals against the foreign business community in China.

“International Crisis Group is aware of reports that its North East Asia Senior Adviser, Michael Kovrig, has been detained in China,” the think-tank said in a statement.

“We are doing everything possible to secure additional information on Michael’s whereabouts as well as his prompt and safe release,” it added.

China’s Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Public Security did not respond immediately to questions faxed earlier about Kovrig’s detention.

The exact reason for the detention was not immediately clear.

The Canadian embassy declined to comment, referring queries to Ottawa.

Calls to Kovrig’s phones were not answered.

Kovrig, a Mandarin speaker, has been working as a full-time expert for the International Crisis Group since February 2017.</s>The Latest: Canada raises detention of citizen with China

TORONTO (AP) — The Latest on the detention of a former Canadian diplomat in China (all times local):

Canada's Global Affairs Department says it's aware of the detention of a Canadian citizen in China and has raised the case with the Chinese government.

The department says in a statement it is "seized with this case" and is providing consular assistance to the family of the Canadian. It declined to say more or state his name.

But a person familiar with the matter says former diplomat Michael Kovrig was detained Monday night in Beijing during one of his regular visits to the city. The person spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to speak publicly on the matter.

The detention follows Chinese warnings to Canada of consequences for its recent arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver's airport.

Canada's public safety minister says the government is deeply concerned about a Canadian detained in China — confirming that a former Canadian diplomat is being held in Beijing amid a dispute between the two counties over Canada's arrest of a Chinese executive.

Minister Ralph Goodale said Tuesday the government is sparing no effort to look after the Canadian's safety. The comment came in response to a question about reports that former diplomat Michael Kovrig had been arrested in China, though he did not mention him by name.

The detention follows Chinese warnings to Canada of consequences for its recent arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver's airport.

Goodale said there is no explicit indication at this point that the cases are related and he said Canada is working to determine why he was detained.

A former Canadian diplomat has been detained while visiting Beijing.

A person familiar with the matter says Michael Kovrig was detained Monday night in Beijing during one of his regular visits to the city. The person spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to speak publicly on the matter.

The International Crisis Group said earlier Tuesday it was aware of reports that its North East Asia senior adviser has been detained. The Hong Kong-based Kovrig had served as the political lead for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's trip to that city in 2016.

The Brussels-based non-governmental organization said in a statement that it's doing everything possible to obtain additional information about Kovrig's whereabouts and that it will work to ensure his prompt release.

The detention comes after China warned Canada of consequences for its recent arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver's airport. It's unclear if there's any link between the cases.

The International Crisis Group said Kovrig has been one of its full-time experts since February 2017.</s>TORONTO (AP) — A former Canadian diplomat reportedly has been arrested in China.

The International Crisis Group said Tuesday it's aware of reports that its North East Asia senior adviser Michael Kovrig has been detained.

The Brussels-based non-governmental organization said in a statement that it's doing everything possible to obtain additional information about Kovrig's whereabouts and that it will work to ensure his prompt release.

The Globe and Mail in Toronto and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported the arrest, citing unnamed sources.

Reports of Kovrig's detention come after China warned Canada of consequences for its recent arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver's airport. It's unclear if there's any link between the cases.

The International Crisis Group said Kovrig has been one of its full-time experts since February 2017.

According to the organization's website, Kovrig previously worked as a Canadian diplomat in Beijing and Hong Kong and at the United Nations.

Former Canadian Liberal leader Bob Rae said it's clear why he's been detained.</s>A former Canadian diplomat has reportedly been detained in China and his current employer says it is working for his "prompt and safe release".

The International Crisis Group said it was "aware of reports" of Michael Kovrig's detention.

Details are not yet clear. The news comes days after Canadian authorities arrested a top executive of the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei in Vancouver.

It is not known if there is a link between the two cases.

Tensions between Canada and China have been high over the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer and daughter of its founder, on Saturday 1 December.

Mr Kovrig had previously worked as a diplomat in Beijing, Hong Kong and at the UN in New York.

Canada's ministry of foreign affairs has not confirmed the report by Reuters news agency, which cited two unnamed sources.

Mr Kovrig has been working since February 2017 as North East Asia senior advisor for the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank that focuses on conflict reduction research.

He worked with Canada's foreign affairs ministry between 2010 and 2016 and was posted in Hong Kong and Beijing between 2012 and 2016.

Ms Meng faces extradition to the US on charges of fraud related to sanctions-breaking business dealings with Iran.

She could be jailed for up to 30 years if found guilty.

China has demanded that Canada release of Ms Meng or face consequences.

She is scheduled to appear on Tuesday in the Supreme Court of British Columbia for the third day of her bail hearing.

Her husband has offered C$15m ($11m; £9m) - C$1m in cash and the couple's two homes in Canada - as surety for Ms Meng's release.

Canadian Crown prosecutors have asked for bail to be denied because they believe the wealthy executive poses a flight risk.

China's foreign ministry also insisted on Tuesday that Canada failed to promptly notify Beijing immediately about Ms Meng's arrest, according to a state media report.</s>TORONTO (AP) - A former Canadian diplomat reportedly has been arrested in China.

The International Crisis Group said Tuesday it's aware of reports that its North East Asia senior adviser Michael Kovrig has been detained.

The Brussels-based non-governmental organization said in a statement that it's doing everything possible to obtain additional information about Kovrig's whereabouts and that it will work to ensure his prompt release.

The Globe and Mail in Toronto and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported the arrest, citing unnamed sources.

Reports of Kovrig's detention come after China warned Canada of consequences for its recent arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver's airport. It's unclear if there's any link between the cases.

The International Crisis Group said Kovrig has been one of its full-time experts since February 2017.

According to the organization's website, Kovrig previously worked as a Canadian diplomat in Beijing and Hong Kong and at the United Nations.

Former Canadian Liberal leader Bob Rae said it's clear why he's been detained.</s>OTTAWA — A second Canadian is missing in China after alerting foreign affairs officials that he was being questioned by Chinese authorities, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Wednesday.

The information comes mere days after the Beijing Bureau of State Security rounded up a Canadian diplomat, who is on a leave from his job, in a move that escalated an ongoing diplomatic dispute between the two countries.

Freeland told reporters Wednesday the government has been unable to make contact with the second Canadian since he raised concerns with officials. She said the government doesn’t know where the man is being detained, but has raised the case with Chinese authorities.

Freeland added that the government is in touch with the missing man’s family, but declined to say anything more about his case.

“It’s a situation that’s, perhaps, delicate,” she said in French. “And I want to respect this individual and his family.”

On Monday, China took Michael Kovrig into custody after Beijing warned Ottawa of severe consequences for its recent arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of tech giant Huawei. Meng was arrested in Canada earlier this month at the request of the United States, which is hoping to have her extradited over allegations she tried to bypass American trade sanctions on Iran and lied to U.S. banks about her actions.

A senior government official said China confirmed to Canada very early Wednesday the Beijing Bureau of State Security had detained Kovrig. Ottawa, however, doesn’t know what the allegations against him are and does not know where he is, the official said.

The Beijing News has reported that Kovrig “was suspected of engaging in activities that endanger China’s national security.”

Kovrig’s former boss in China said he would have been under the close watch of Chinese authorities years ago as he travelled the country and talked to dissidents on behalf of Canada’s government.

He took on political-reporting assignments on highly sensitive subjects, said Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador in Beijing.

Saint-Jacques said Kovrig tried to “get the pulse” of many groups, such as displaced Tibetans scattered around China and Muslim minorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, where Beijing has been accused by the international community — including Canada — of mass detentions.

“He went to remote locations trying to meet with people from these communities to try and understand what they were going through, in terms of the challenges they faced, protecting their cultures,” Saint-Jacques said in an interview. “So, all of this, obviously, would have attracted the attention of security people.”

The former ambassador added that Chinese authorities have extensive files on all diplomats in China, especially those, like Kovrig, who speak fluent Mandarin.

Kovrig gave up diplomatic immunity when he took an unpaid leave of absence from Global Affairs Canada in late 2016 at the end of his posting. A senior government official, briefing reporters Wednesday on condition of anonymity, said he remains a federal government employee.

Saint-Jacques said Kovrig, who served under him in China between 2014 and 2016, loved the country and chose to stay.

In February 2017, Kovrig continued reporting on some of the touchiest subjects involving China after he joined the International Crisis Group as an adviser. His work for the non-governmental organization has covered a range of subjects, including the North Korean nuclear crisis, China’s relationship with the U.S. and its expanding presence in Africa.

A spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry said earlier in the day that the International Crisis Group, where Kovrig has been a Hong-Kong-based analyst, is not registered in China and alleged its activities in the country are illegal.

Because Kovrig’s group is not registered as a non-governmental organization in China, Lu Kang added that “once its staff become engaged in activities in China, it has already violated the law.”

Lu also repeated China’s demand for Meng’s immediate release.

Saint-Jacques says he has a lot of sympathy for Kovrig, whom, based on his experience observing past cases, he believes is already enduring long interrogations by Chinese authorities.

He said they typically take detainees to secret locations, where they are monitored 24 hours a day with the lights always kept on. Saint-Jacques said Kovrig will likely face sleep and food deprivation as well as interrogations at all hours.

“They try to create as much psychological pressure as possible to make you crack,” said Saint-Jacques. “This will go on until they are satisfied, until they extract a confession. We have known people who are ready to admit to anything just to get out of there.”

He added that Kovrig likely won’t be officially charged and arrested until after this process, which can take months or more.

“In the Chinese system, once you are officially charged — in 99.9 per cent of the cases you are also found guilty,” he said. “So, the odds are against you.”
International Crisis Group confirm one of it's worker Michael Kovrig is detained in People's Republic of China. Kovrig is a former Canadian diplomat and his detainment come after the China warned Canada of severe consequences if Meng was not released.