China ‘giving detained Canadians Kovrig and Spavor better food’ during coronavirus

All detainees get improved food to help strengthen their immunity, Chinese embassy in Canada says

Pair held without trial since their arrests 15 months ago days after Canadian authorities arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou

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People hold signs calling for China to release Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig during an extradition hearing for Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver this month. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:29pm, 16 Mar 2020Updated: 3:42pm, 19 Mar 2020

Beijing said it was providing better food and allowing more deliveries during the coronavirus outbreak for two Canadians detained in China on spying charges that were seen as retaliation for Canada’s arrest of a Chinese telecoms executive.

The Chinese embassy in Canada said it had also allowed Canadian former diplomat Michael Kovrig – held by police since December 2018 along with Canadian businessman Michael Spavor – to speak to his “very ill” father by telephone for “humanitarian reasons”, Canadian media reported.

“The authorities have provided better food for all the detainees, including Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, so as to help strengthen their immunity,” the embassy’s statement said. “Second, given the relevant detention centres have been totally enclosed due to the epidemic, to ensure their contacts with the Canadian consular agencies in China, the frequency of transference of letters and parcels to Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor has been increased as interim arrangements.”

Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the Canadian government’s diplomatic department, has called for the pair to be released immediately from “arbitrary detention”, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the embassy’s remarks.

The latest developments for the two men came amid tightened travel restrictions in China over the coronavirus pandemic, which spread from the central province of Hubei in December and has caused more than 160,000 infections in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Kovrig and Spavor have been detained in China since their arrest in mid-December 2018, days after Canadian authorities arrested Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms company Huawei, on a US extradition request.