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Canadian Who Was Detained by China Warns Against Carney’s Auto Deal

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping in January.Photographer: Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press/AP

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By Laura Dhillon Kane

April 21, 2026 at 5:50 PM UTC

A Canadian who was detained in China for nearly three years warned that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s automotive trade deal risks creating a strategic dependency that the Asian superpower can exploit for political coercion.

Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat who was imprisoned from 2018 to 2021, said Tuesday the agreement will lead to unfair competition and the erosion of Canada’s industrial base.