Beijing’s detention of a former Canadian diplomat is being seen by friends and former colleagues as payback for Canada’s arrest of a well-connected Chinese telecommunications executive at the behest of the U.S., potentially escalating diplomatic tensions already roiling the global economy.
Michael Kovrig spent years in China exploring sensitive issues, delving into Beijing’s suppression of Muslims and its ties to North Korea, from his posts as a Canadian diplomat and, most recently, as a researcher for a crisis-monitoring group.