Chinese Arrest and Trump’s Boast Drag Trudeau Into Huawei Feud

  • Former diplomat’s detention in Beijing strains bilateral ties
  • Canada taking hands-off approach to tech executive’s case
Meng Wanzhou leaves her home under the supervision of security on Dec. 12.Photographer: Ben Nelms/Bloomberg
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Justin Trudeau wanted to distance himself from the arrest of a Huawei Technologies Co. executive, but China’s detention of a Canadian and Donald Trump’s interventions are dragging the prime minister into the feud anyhow.

State security officers seized Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat on leave from the foreign service, in Beijing on Monday, in relation to a national security investigation. The arrest comes nine days after Canada’s capture of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver at the request of U.S. authorities.