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CANADA-CHINA-DIPLOMACY-MISSING
Ottawa says second Canadian questioned in China now ‘missing’
BEIJING, Dec 13, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Ottawa on Thursday identified the second
Canadian questioned in China as Michael Spavor, and said he has been missing
since he last made contact with Canadian officials.
Spavor, who is based in China, runs the Paektu Cultural Exchange, an
organisation that facilitates business, tourism and sport trips to North
Korea and famously helped former NBA star Dennis Rodman visit the isolated
country.
His disappearance emerged days after former Canadian diplomat Michael
Kovrig was detained during a visit to Beijing.
“We are aware that a Canadian citizen, Mr. Michael Spavor, is presently
missing in China,” Canadian foreign ministry spokesman Guillaume Berube told
AFP in an email.
“We have been unable to make contact since he let us know he was being
questioned by Chinese authorities,” he said.
“We are working very hard to ascertain his whereabouts and we continue to
raise this with the Chinese government.”
The arrest and disappearance of two Canadian nationals came more than a
week after Ottawa infuriated Beijing by arresting Meng Wanzhou, the chief
financial officer of Chinese telecom giant Huawei, at Washington’s request.
Meng was released on Can$10 million (US$7.5 million) bail by a court in
Vancouver on Tuesday.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 0912 hrs