A Canadian man arrested in China two years ago on charges of spying and stealing state secrets has been freed and is back home in Canada, his family said Thursday.
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“We remain deeply impressed by the grace and resilience of the Garratt family, especially Kevin and Julia”.
In January of this year, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman said authorities there had found evidence that “implicates Garratt in accepting assignments from Canadian espionage agencies to gather intelligence in China”. His wife was later released on bail.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is due to visit to Canada from September 21-24.
“The Garratt family thanks everyone for their thoughts and prayers, and also thanks the many individuals who worked to secure Kevin’s release”, it said.
A notice indicating the closure of the shop is placed behind the window of the coffee shop owned by Canadian couple Kevin Garratt and Julia Dawn Garratt in Dandong, Liaoning province, August 5, 2014.
The release came as a surprise, since there were few signs of a breakthrough when Trudeau flew to China. 2014 near the border with North Korea.
They also requested “respect for their privacy in this time of transition”.
The Canadian official declined to say what the Chinese might have received in return for Garratt’s release.
“Canada is working to renew ties with China to help grow the economy, strengthen the middle class, and develop long lasting ties between the peoples of both countries”, he said in a statement this month following a visit to Beijing and Shanghai.
Zimmerman released a photo showing Garratt embracing his wife at Vancouver International Airport.
“The family appreciates the strong, persistent efforts of the Canadian government to secure Kevin’s release”, Zimmerman wrote. Indeed, while he was in Beijing, the Garratt family expressed their frustration at the lack of progress.
Trudeau, whose father Pierre reopened ties with China in 1970, has called for a “reset” in Canada-China relations.
The two leaders are expected to also discuss environmental co-operation, legal and judicial collaboration and cultural exchanges.
The Chinese government had denied accusations the couple’s arrest was retaliation for the detention of a Chinese man in Canada who had been wanted in the United States for allegedly stealing fighter jet documents.
The couple worked with North Star Aid.
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Simeon Garratt has said his parents made no secret of their faith but did not flaunt it in China, where proselytising is against the law.
