Michaels Michael Kovrig Spavor China
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China claims that the two Michaels were released for “health reasons”

by Lorraine Carpenter

“The case of Meng Wanzhou is completely different from that of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in nature.”

In epic efforts to downplay the connection between the arrest and subsequent release (three years later) of the two Michaels and that of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, China is claiming that Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were released on Friday night for “health reasons.”

“The case of Meng Wanzhou is completely different from that of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in nature,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying in a briefing on Monday.

Wanzhou was released on Friday afternoon after her prosecution was deferred by U.S. prosecutors. The deal is largely regarded as a prisoner swap. The two Michaels arrived back in Canada on Saturday morning and were greeted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (whose rolled up sleeves caused a mini controversy on Twitter) while Wanzhou arrived back in Guangdong Province on the same day to a bizarre display of nationalism.

China claims that the two Michaels were released for “health reasons” and not in a prisoner swap for Meng Wanzhou

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by Lorraine Carpenter

Editor in chief
Lorraine Carpenter was born in Montreal and studied communications and journalism at Concordia. She co-founded Cult MTL in 2012 following 12 years at the now-defunct Montreal alt weekly the Mirror, where she worked in editorial as copy editor and music editor. She’s dedicated to supporting the cultural scene in Montreal.