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Chinese state media says Canada’s ‘two Michaels’ confessed guilt, allowed bail for medical reasons
- The detention of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig was widely reported – but not their release in what is widely seen as a quid pro quo
- Some internet users questioned the silence, but most of the attention was devoted to Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou’s triumphant return
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Zhuang Pinghuiin Beijing
The return of Huawei Technologies’ executive Meng Wanzhou to China after nearly three years on bail in Canada was met with overwhelming attention domestically, including hours of live coverage on television and social media.
In stark contrast, state media has been largely silent over the release of two Canadians who were detained days after Meng’s arrest in Vancouver in what it is widely believed to be a quid pro quo – until nationalistic tabloid Global Times published a story on it at around 10pm on Sunday, claiming that former diplomat Michael Kovrig and business consultant Michael Spavor had confessed their guilt and were released on bail for “medical reasons”.
Kovrig and Spavor were freed hours after Meng reached a deal with US prosecutors and given permission to leave Canada by a Vancouver court last Friday. They arrived back in their country on Saturday after being held for more than 1,000 days in China.
They had been detained on allegations of spying nine days after Meng was arrested in an airport in Vancouver at the request of the US authorities in December 2018.
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Meng Wanzhou returns to China and Canadians freed after US court reaches deal with Huawei CFO
Meng Wanzhou returns to China and Canadians freed after US court reaches deal with Huawei CFO
The allegations against Spavor and Kovrig as well as their trials received extensive media coverage on the mainland, but their release and departure were not covered at all in state media until the report by the Global Times – an arm of party mouthpiece People’s Daily – on Sunday night.
Based in Beijing, Zhuang Pinghui joined the Post in 2004 to report on China. She covers a range of issues including policy, healthcare, culture and society.
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