Canadian consular officials made another visit Wednesday with Michael Kovrig, the former Canadian diplomat who has been imprisoned in China since December.
Canadian consular officials are also continuing to provide support for former Calgarian Michael Spavor, who has also been detained in China since December.
“The Canadian government remains deeply concerned by the arbitrary detention by Chinese authorities of these two Canadians since December 2018 and continues to call for their immediate release,” read a statement from Global Affairs Canada.
The two were detained separately on Dec. 10, 2018. Consular officials have now met with Kovrig eight times since then and with Spavor seven times.
Consular visits are generally done as a way of “assessing the well-being of a Canadian citizen; clarifying the nature of the detention with the local authorities and with the Canadian; providing guidance on the legal process in the country; seeking access to medical attention, if required; and providing a communication link between the Canadian and their loved ones,” reads the statement from Global Affairs Canada.
Canadian officials have complained the two men are being held in retaliation for the December arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who is facing a U.S. extradition request.
Spavor studied at the University of Calgary and has lived in China for several years. He has worked as a tour guide in North Korea and helped arrange trips to the country, including basketball star Denis Rodman’s visit to meet Kim-Jung Un, in 2013.
