Canada citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig will face trial for spying against China soon, sources said Friday. Meanwhile, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou is set to return to a Canadian court Monday.
A source told the Global Times that the Spavor-Kovrig trial was delayed as a result of the pandemic but the court hearing the case was looking to start proceedings sometime in the coming weeks.
"They are suspected of crimes endangering China's national security," the Chinese newspaper wrote.
While Kovrig was accused of stealing critical information through Chinese contacts for the past three or four years Spavor was alleged to have provided sensitive intelligence to Kovrig.
Some analysts said the trial might weaken hopes the two will be released through diplomatic conversations.
In an email to The Guardian, a representative for Global Affairs Canada said the government "remains deeply concerned by the arbitrary detention" of Kovrig and Spavor.
The representative said consular officials are still providing services to the detained Canadians.
However, the Canadian foreign ministry said it had not been made aware of a specific timeline on when the two will be tried for espionage.
Kovrig, a former diplomat and Spavor, a businessman, have been held by China for more than 800 days without bail. Little is known about their state in detention.
Beijing has said that the two men are in "good health."
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he believed Kovrig and Spavor were arrested as an act of retaliation from China after Huawei's chief financial officer Meng was arrested in Vancouver in December 2018.
In mid-February, a spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry Hua Chunying said Canada had "distorted facts" and denied accusations that the case was "arbitrary detention."
Kovrig and Spavor were detained 10 days after Meng was detained on U.S. charges of fraud and conspiracy over accusations that she lied to HSBC plc about Huawei's relations with Skycom - putting HSBC in a tight spot for potentially violating U.S. sanctions on Iran.
In January, Global Affairs Canada confirmed China has granted virtual consular access to Kovrig but officials were yet to gain access to Spavor.
Meanwhile, Meng's case will resume March 15 as she continues to fight extradition to the U.S.
Last month, Meng moved to take HSBC in Hong Kong to court to obtain internal documents she believes will prove HSBC was aware of Huawei's dealings with Skycom.
It is expected that hearings on Meng's extradition case will continue until mid-May and appeals might drag on for months or even years.
