On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he is hopeful that US President-elect Joe Biden’s administration will keep up pressure on China to release two Canadians held for nearly two years.
Beijing in an act widely decried by Western capitals as retaliation detained former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor on suspicions of espionage in December 2018, days after Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wangzhou on a US warrant.
At a news conference, Trudeau commented that his government has worked very closely with Donald Trump’s administration and other allies to put pressure on Beijing to release the pair.
He said: “I am extremely confident that the incoming American administration will continue to be a good partner to Canada and other nations around the world as we look to impress upon China that the approach they’re taking is simply not working (and)… the importance of returning the two Canadians who’ve been arbitrarily detained for over 700 days.”
He also expressed confidence in the US election system while declining to comment on Trump’s refusal to concede defeat, saying he would continue to work with Trump on bilateral issues until Biden’s inauguration in late January.
