A second Canadian citizen held for more than two years on spying charges in apparent retaliation for Canada’s arrest of a senior Huawei executive went on trial in Beijing on Monday. Canadian diplomats have been refused access to trials and told that hearings would be held behind closed doors because of alleged national security concerns. No verdict has been announced in Spavor’s case, and it is not clear if additional hearings will be held. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blasted Beijing for holding the trial “in secret” without access for consular officials. Advertisement“Xi is extremely ambitious, and he compares himself ... to Mao Zedong and the first emperor of China,” Tsang said.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 22, 2021 10:53 UTC