Michael Spavor

A group of Canadian lawmakers travelling to China this weekend will use the trip to push for the release of two Canadians detained there since last month, says a Conservative MP in the delegation.

Western allies' support for Canada in its argument with China over the arrests of two Canadians on national-security grounds have made China "very dissatisfied," its foreign ministry said on Monday, December 24, 2018.

After more than a week of expressing worsening upset about China's arrests of two Canadians, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland on Friday, December 22, 2018, formally demanded that Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor be let go.

China has now granted Canada access to both of its recently arrested citizens — a move one former Canadian consular official sees as an encouraging sign.

Canadian diplomats will be granted access "shortly" to the second Canadian detained in China, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday, December 14, 2018, as he predicted consequences for Canada's economy from the U.S.-China trade war.

Tourism Minister Melanie Joly won't go to China to mark the end of a special year of tourism exchanges, she announced on Friday, December 14, 2018, as relations between the two countries continued to plummet.

A second Canadian is missing in China after alerting Global Affairs Canada that he was being questioned by Chinese authorities, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Wednesday, December 12, 21018.

U.S. President Joe Biden pressed his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to release Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig during a Sept. 9 telephone call.

Last June, 33 Canadian senators voted to defeat a motion decrying China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims as a genocide.