China has said two Canadian men were detained on suspicion of « endangering national security. »
The detainment of Canadians in China is retaliation for the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, White House trade policy adviser Peter Navarro said Thursday, while appearing on Fox News.
When asked by Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo whether the incidents were related, Navarro replied: “Of course, it is. That’s the Chinese playbook.”
Navarro’s statement is markedly different from other officials and world leaders, who have been careful not to directly link the events. Canadian officials have avoided saying outright that China is retaliating for the arrest.
On Wednesday, the government confirmed that Canadian Michael Spavor was detained in China. The confirmation came two days after news of Canadian former diplomat Michael Kovrig being detained in Beijing.
