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Extra many Christmas cards. That’s the staff of the Chinese embassy in Canada’s capital this year. They probably won’t appreciate everyone equally.
In the past two years, supporters of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have held various calls and demonstrations for the release of the two Canadians from China. The photo is of a selection in Vancouver in March 2019. Photo: Lindsey Wasson, Reuters / NTB
Roger Smith’s card is of an unusual type. Printed text with a Happy Holidays wish is crossed out. Instead, the Canadian journalist has written a personal greeting:
“Dear China. Taking hostages is not diplomacy. It is a violation of international law and human rights. Free the two Michaels! Now!”
The Christmas card from the former China correspondent for the Canadian television company CTV is one of many. Under the hashtag #freechinahostages, senders post several of them on Twitter after being sent to the Chinese Embassy in Canada’s capital Ottawa.
The action aims to recall that two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, have been in the custody of the Chinese authorities for two years this week.
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Inspired by the 1967 story
Kovrig and Spavor were arrested on December 10, 2018 and later charged with espionage. They were arrested shortly after Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei, was arrested in Canada. Meng is wanted by the United States, which suspects fraud. Canada is still considering the possibility of extraditing her to a neighboring country.
The Chinese ambassador to Canada already indicated at the time that the arrests of Kovrig and Spavor could be linked to the arrest of Meng. Several experts from western China have described the case as “hostage diplomacy.”
– There is no doubt that they are hostages, says the British Charles Parton.
He is a former diplomat and meets Michael Kovrig after they both worked in Beijing at the same time a decade ago. Now Parton has taken the lead in the Christmas card drive to commemorate the fate of Kovrig and Spavor.
He was inspired by Anthony Gray, a British journalist captured by the Red Guard in Beijing in 1967. He ended up imprisoned for two and a half years. The British authorities launched a worldwide campaign in which more than 3,000 people sent Christmas cards to the Chinese authorities calling for the release of Gray. The cards may have contributed to his eventual release.
What will happen to Kovrig and Spavor is currently not completely clear. In fact, there is some confusion about what has already happened to them so far.
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Huawei cover can be detached
On Thursday, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the two Canadians had already been “charged and convicted.” A few hours later, there were reports from China that Kovrig and Spavor have yet to be brought to justice.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made it clear this week that he has not forgotten about the two Michaels.
For the past two years, they have been arbitrarily arrested by China. We are doing absolutely everything we can to try to get them home safely, Trudeau said in a speech to the National Assembly this week.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is working for the Chinese government to release the two Canadians imprisoned in China. Photo: Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press
One possible solution could be for the United States to drop the charges against Huawei’s leader Meng Wanzhou.
Meng is the daughter of the founder of the company. For the past two years, he has been under house arrest at his luxurious home in the Canadian city of Vancouver. His lawyers are now negotiating a settlement with US authorities, writes The Wall Street Journal. The agreement stipulates that she can travel to China in exchange for admitting her guilt in the fraud case against her.
The Trump administration has taken a hard line against Huawei. The company is largely banned from the US market for security reasons. Norway and several other European countries have also banned Huawei from building the new 5G mobile network.
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Johaug does not break collaboration with Huawei
Huawei has close ties with the Chinese authorities. Maintains the American and British authorities. Among other things, the company has developed a program that can automatically recognize people belonging to the Uighur minority group. Writes The Washington Post.
At least one million Uyghurs have been forcibly detained in camps in the northwestern region of Xinjiang since 2017. Incoming US President Joe Biden described the treatment of the minority group as genocide.
Huawei’s “Uyghur alarm” will also make it easier to track the minority group outside the camps, the US newspaper writes.
The news prompted French footballer Antoine Griezmann to break the sponsorship agreement with Huawei. Swedish star artist Zara Larsson did the same last year.
Here in Norway, skier Therese Johaug has chosen to continue working with Huawei, despite the latest revelations this week.
“We relate to Huawei’s official fact-based information on the company’s role and attitude in this matter and the company’s commitment to human rights,” Johaug’s manager Jørn Ernst wrote in an email to TV 2.
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