China has formally arrested two Canadians detained more than five months ago and accused them of state secrets violations, as it keeps up pressure on Ottawa in an escalating dispute over the future of telecommunications firm Huawei.
On Wednesday, US president Donald Trump banned Huawei from selling products in the US and required American firms to get a licence before selling to the Chinese company.
Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou is fighting extradition from Canada to the US on charges that her company violated US sanctions on Iran. China has frozen most contacts with Canadian diplomats and blocked shipments of canola, one of Canada’s most important export crops, in order to pressure the country to release Ms Meng, who is also the founder’s daughter.