Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have landed in Calgary after their release from a Chinese prison. They were freed by the Beijing government immediately on the release of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer and the daughter of the company’s founder. She has returned to China after winning a deal with the US Justice Department to dismiss fraud charges late next year in exchange for Meng accepting responsibility for misrepresenting her company’s business dealings in Iran. To be clear, Meng was permitted to plead not guilty to the charge while admitting to misrepresenting her firm’s business with Iran. The deception was made to Huawei’s bank at the time, HSBC. So this pleasant, cultured and wealthy lady has been able to have it both ways — guilty and innocent all at once.
China’s hostage diplomacy
Now Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor are home, their release reveals in stark brutality the way things work in China. You offend us on a point of law, and we’ll grab your citizens as hostages. Sad for the world, sad for China.
