Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that Chinese officials are not respecting the diplomatic immunity of one of the Canadians detained in China last month as he ramped up efforts to get them released. China arrested former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor on vague national security allegations. Canadian authorities haven't previously said he was protected by diplomatic immunity. "It is unfortunate that China has arbitrarily and unfairly detained two Canadian citizens, and indeed in one of the cases is not respecting the principles of diplomatic immunity," Trudeau said. Trudeau asserted diplomatic immunity in both French and English answers to a question but did not elaborate on why Kovrig is entitled to it.

Source: ABC News January 11, 2019 22:54 UTC