Despite the heightened state of political tension between Ottawa and Beijing, MPs and senators plan to proceed with a trip to China this week. Cooper, the sole Conservative MP on the trip, said Day was told by Global Affairs Canada that the trip should go ahead. "I'm going to take my cues from Global Affairs Canada, and I just have every confidence ... with Global Affairs Canada and with our embassy officials, that we will have a safe and successful mission to China." Chinese prosecutor Zhang Jun told a Beijing briefing Thursday that Kovrig and Spavor broke the country's laws "without a doubt." Despite the current diplomatic climate, Paul Evans, a global affairs expert at the University of British Columbia, commended the Canadian officials for taking the trip.

Source: CBC News January 03, 2019 22:00 UTC