China rebukes Canada's 'arbitrary detention' accusation as distortion of facts

BEIJING, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Wednesday urged Canada to stop misleading public opinion and smearing China, rebuking its accusation of China engaging in "arbitrary detention" of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig as distortion of facts and blame-shifting.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a relevant media query.

According to reports by Canada's The Globe and Mail, Michael Spavor, who is suspected of engaging in espionage activities in China, said he provided Michael Kovrig with sensitive information about the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which was later passed on to the Canadian government and its Five Eyes spy-service partners unbeknownst to Michael Spavor. This led to the arrests of the two persons in China.

Wang said that Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were suspected of criminal acts endangering China's national security, and Chinese judicial authorities handled the case in strict accordance with the law.

Relevant reports once again proved that the false accusation against China of "arbitrary detention" was a complete distortion of facts and blame-shifting, Wang said.

Stories made up by the Canadian side have been debunked by facts over time, and this is the result of Canada's own doing, he added.

"We urge the Canadian side to respect facts, deeply reflect upon its mistakes, and stop misleading public opinion and smearing China," Wang said.