China Accuses Canadians of Spying Amid Huawei Extradition Case
- Beijing alleges Spavor helped Kovrig steal state secrets
- Timing of report suggests their fate is tied to executive’s
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China is now linking the cases of two Canadians seized after the arrest of a top Huawei Technologies Co. executive in Vancouver on a U.S. extradition request, sparking a bitter diplomatic feud.
A news portal run by China’s Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission said Monday that Michael Kovrig -- on leave from a job in Canada’s foreign service -- had “severely” violated Chinese law by spying and stealing state secrets while working for the International Crisis Group. It also said Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur who ran tours into North Korea, was Kovrig’s primary contact and supplied him with intelligence.