VoltIn the context of diplomatic tension, a Canadian businessman was sentenced to 11 years in prison in China. On Wednesday, a court in the northeastern city of Dandong found Michael Spavor guilty of espionage and obtaining state secrets.
Like his compatriot Michael Cumming Kai, Spavor was detained in China in December 2018, shortly after the chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei. Meng WanzhouWho was arrested. Beijing was therefore accused of “hostage diplomacy.” The trial of the two Canadians took place in March. Since being imprisoned, they have barely had any contact with the outside world.
Canada’s extradition process
Meng, the daughter of the founder of Huawei Ren Zhengfei, Suspected of violating sanctions against Iran for fraud by US banks. In Canada, the process of deciding whether to extradite a business woman to the United States has entered the final stage.
Former diplomat Kang Mingkai is also facing a court trial in China on charges of espionage. However, no verdict has been issued against him yet.
Since Meng’s arrest, relations between Beijing and Ottawa have been strained. As a result, at least three Canadian drug dealers were sentenced to death in China.
It wasn’t until Tuesday that the Court of Appeals knew The death sentence of Canadian drug smuggler Robert Lloyd Schellenberg is confirmedInitially, Schellenberg was sentenced to long-term imprisonment. However, shortly after Meng Wanzhou was arrested, the sentence was changed to the death penalty. China denies any connection between the Canadian trial and the arrest of Meng Wanzhou.
