A Chinese court has sentenced Canadian businessman Michael Spavor to 11 years in prison, in a decision likely to further undermine an already poor relationship between China and Canada.
Spavor, who for years ran a travel and cultural exchange business between China and North Korea, was convicted of espionage and illegally providing state secrets at Dandong city’s Intermediate People’s Court.
Spavor was detained in China in 2018, shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, on an extradition request by the United States.
Canada has said the detentions are linked to Meng’s case, which China has denied.