A third Canadian national has been detained in China, officials in Canada revealed on Wednesday. Sarah Mclver, an Alberta native, was taken into custody but details about her arrest still remain scarce. According to CBC News, the woman was teaching in China and was contacted by Chinese authorities regarding her visa.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also confirmed the third arrest during his year-end news conference. He noted that this latest arrest does not appear to be linked to the first two Canadians taken into custody, Michael Spavor and Michael Korvig, who were apprehended earlier this month on accusations of harming China’s national security. During the conference, Trudeau stated:
“We’ve only got the preliminary indications ... that it’s not linked to a matter of national security for the Chinese. The two situations are very different. The allegations of national security problems, even objectively, are very different from a routine case or a problem with a visa or something of that nature.”
The three arrests, all taking place in December, occurred after Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was taken by Canadian authorities over alleged violations of Iran sanctions. Meng stood trial and was released on bail as she awaits another hearing where she may be extradited to the United States.
US President Donald Trump told Reuters in an interview that he would be willing to intervene in Meng’s case if it would result in a new trade deal with China. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Trudeau has taken a different approach to the recent detainments, saying, “sometimes, politicizing or amplifying the level of public discourse on this may be satisfying in the short term, but would not contribute to the outcome we all want, which is for Canadians to be safe and secure.”
READ MORE: Huawei CFO Granted Bail of USD7.5 Million in Vancouver
[Cover image via Unsplash]
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