It had been over 1000 days for the two Michaels, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, to be imprisoned in China. They are now free! They had been held on trumped up charges where China disregarded the rule of law and held the two Michaels as political hostages. The Chinese authorities used the two incarcerated prisoners as pawns in order to put pressure on the Canadian government to free Meng Wanzhou, a Huawei CFO executive, who was under house arrest, as the United States sought her extradition for financial corruption that involved providing support for Iran, which was internationally outlawed.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Government were ineffective in securing the two Michaels’ release. Rather than stand up to China, Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Government allowed China to bully and harass Canada. For holding Meng Wanzhou, China punished Canada. China disallowed or stopped buying some of Canada’s agricultural products, pork, and beef. Other trade was affected as well. Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Government were afraid to effectively confront China. Despite that four of the “Five Eyes” barred Huawei, a China company that has ties to the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese military, from their 5G network, Canada has to this date not made a decision. Because of Trudeau and the Liberal Government’s inaction regarding Huawei, Canada has compromised the network security of the Five Eyes.
Fortunately, the United States of America and the Biden administration came to the rescue of the two Michaels. The USA Justice Department presented a deferred prosecution of Meng Wanzhou if she accepted culpability for fraud, corruption, and evading sanctions against Iran. Although she accepted responsibility for committing these crimes, Meng Wanzhou pleaded not guilty. However, her acceptance of the crimes was enough for the USA Justice Department to drop the extradition proceedings of the Huawei executive.
But many people believe that there was one thing that the Chinese authorities had to if the USA Justice Department was going to relent which would allow the Canadian authorities to release Meng Wanzhou. The USA Justice Department and the Biden administration, many critics believe, made an agreement with the Chinese government that the two Michaels had to be released if Meng Wanzhou was to be given a deferred prosecution. If so, it was a quid pro quo — the USA arranged in exchange for Wanzhou’s release, China had to release the two Michaels.
The United States of America did for the two Michaels what Trudeau and the Liberal Government could not do: make possible the release and freedom of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. No thanks to Trudeau and the Liberal Government, Canadians can thank the United States of America for the Freedom of the two Michaels. In appreciation, Trudeau and the Liberal Government need to show their support for the Five Eyes and provide legislation that will prevent Huawei from Canada’s 5G network.