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 release.
Michael Kovrig’s detention comes after police in Canada arrested the chief financial officer of China’s Huawei Technologies Co Ltd on December 1 at the request of U.S. authorities, a move that infuriated Beijing. It was not immediately clear if the cases were related, but the arrest of Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver has stoked fears of reprisals.
Stint in China
Mr. Kovrig has been working as a full-time expert for the ICG since February 2017. From 2003 to 2016, he worked as an envoy with stints in Beijing and Hong Kong, according to his profile on LinkedIn.
Speaking at a forum in Beijing on Tuesday, China’s State Councillor Wang Yi, said the government kept constant watch on the safety of Chinese citizens abroad, though he did not directly mention Ms. Meng’s case.
“For any bullying that wantonly violates the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, China will never sit idly by,” state television quoted him as saying.
