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Kamala Harris and Justin Trudeau talk about Canadians Spavor and Kovrig detained in China
- US vice-president speaks with Canada PM Justin Trudeau in first call with a foreign leader
- Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have been detained in China since December 2018
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US Vice-President Kamala Harris spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, marking her first call to a foreign leader since entering the White House.
During the call, Harris offered assurances that the Biden administration would “do everything it can” to secure the release of two Canadian citizens detained by China, according to a readout from the White House.
Beijing imprisoned Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in apparent retaliation for Canada’s arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in 2018 on a United States warrant. The US wants her extradited to face fraud charges.
Her arrest infuriated Beijing, and the Chinese government has made moves to punish Canada since then, including banning imports of some Canadian goods.
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The detained Canadians are a top priority for Trudeau, and Canada has pushed Washington to apply pressure on Beijing to release them.
A senior official familiar with the call said Harris proactively brought up the two detained Canadians herself – something that was appreciated by Trudeau and Canadian officials.
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