Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Let me say that over the past 14 months our priority has been to resolve a number of the challenging issues that have arisen in our relationship with the People's Republic of China, starting with the detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. The Government of Canada is deeply concerned by the arbitrary detention and arrest by Chinese authorities of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor and we continue to call for their immediate release.
We have worked very closely at all levels to convey these messages to the Government of China, most recently in a meeting in Japan between Minister Champagne and his counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, shortly after Minister Champagne became foreign minister. We have engaged many other countries to assist us in making these representations. Fourteen other countries have supported us publicly, and even more privately.