OTTAWA – A Canadian teacher arrested in China for administrative reasons — a case officially unrelated to the ongoing diplomatic row between Beijing and Ottawa — has been freed, authorities said Friday.
Global Affairs Canada “confirms that a Canadian citizen, who was detained in China in December, was released and has now returned to Canada,” spokesman Richard Walker said, without providing further details.
The arrest of Sarah McIver, a teacher accused of working illegally in China, was announced shortly after that of two other Canadian nationals: former diplomat Michael Kovrig, employed by think tank International Crisis Group (ICG), and Michael Spavor, a consultant on North Korea, on December 10.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/world/china-detained-another-canadian-for-working-illegally/
The two men, whom China arrested on December 10, were detained on suspicion of “harm to national security” — a phrase often used by Beijing when alleging espionage.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/world/ex-canadian-diplomat-detained-in-china-amid-tensions/
The detention of the three Canadians comes against a backdrop of escalating tensions between China and Canada, which arrested Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wangzhou on December 1.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/technology/china-protests-arrest-of-huaweis-chief-financial-officer-in-canada/
Meng was released on bail last week in Vancouver pending a US extradition hearing on US fraud charges related to sanctions-breaking business dealings with Iran.
