Latest news with #MichaelSpavor
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former MP Han Dong settles defamation lawsuit with Global News
Former MP Han Dong has settled his defamation lawsuit against Global News, according to a statement posted to the news organization's website, closing a two-year legal battle that came after the outlet published an article alleging he advised a Chinese diplomat to hold off on freeing two Canadians who were detained in China at the time. On Sunday morning, Global published a statement on its website that said it and "former MP Han Dong have settled Mr. Dong's lawsuit concerning Global News stories that reported on allegations about Mr. Dong." In March 2023, Global published a story alleging Dong advised a senior Chinese diplomat in February 2021 that Beijing should hold off on freeing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, two Canadians who were being held by China at the time. Dong denied the allegations and filed a lawsuit against Global, its parent company Corus and several journalists just weeks after the story ran. In the final report of the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference, Justice Marie-Josée Hogue wrote that classified intelligence "corroborates Mr. Dong's denial of the allegation that he suggested the [People's Republic of China] should hold off releasing Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor. He did not suggest that the PRC extend their detention." In its statement, Global said it "recognizes the findings" of the inquiry's report, including the classified information reviewed by Hogue. The news organization added "the stories published by Global were based on information provided by confidential intelligence sources." "Mr. Dong has always denied the accuracy of this intelligence. In reporting on the sources' allegations concerning Mr. Dong, Global News's intent was to report on matters of significant public interest and to qualify that the allegations were unproven and subject to different interpretations," it said. In a statement to CBC News, Dong confirmed the settlement and said "after two long years, finally my family and I can move on." "I have had a profound appreciation of the privilege of holding a public office and being a member of the Liberal caucus," he said. Dong left the Liberal caucus in March 2023 to sit as an Independent MP. He did not seek re-election in the 2025 federal election in his suburban Toronto riding of Don Valley North after the Liberal Party told him they were going to run a new candidate, Maggie Chi — who later won the riding. WATCH | Dong quits Liberal caucus amid election interference allegations: In June 2024, an Ontario Superior Court judge found no documented evidence to support allegations made against Dong in the Global News articles. The judge's comments came as he rejected an application from Corus Entertainment to throw out Dong's lawsuit against the news service, saying it was in the public interest to hear the case. "The matter of Mr. Dong's communications with the Chinese are worthy of the freedom of expression of an open court system," Justice Paul Perell said in his judgment. Perell found the reporter who wrote the story did not see a transcript of the conversation between Dong and the diplomat, derived from the confidential sources, and did not keep all of the notes used as part of the reporting process. The ruling said the notes the reporter did keep, based on conversations with sources, do not contain any reference to Dong advising a Chinese diplomat to "delay" or "hold off" on releasing the two men. Kovrig and Spavor returned to Canada in September 2021, almost three years after they were first detained by China in what was widely seen to be a retaliatory action in response to Canada's arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on behalf of U.S. authorities.
CBC
21 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Former MP Han Dong settles defamation lawsuit with Global News
Social Sharing Former MP Han Dong has settled his defamation lawsuit against Global News, according to a statement posted to the news organization's website, closing a two-year legal battle that came after the outlet published an article alleging he advised a Chinese diplomat to hold off on freeing two Canadians who were detained in China at the time. On Sunday morning, Global published a statement on its website that said it and "former MP Han Dong have settled Mr. Dong's lawsuit concerning Global News stories that reported on allegations about Mr. Dong." In March 2023, Global published a story alleging Dong advised a senior Chinese diplomat in February 2021 that Beijing should hold off on freeing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, two Canadians who were being held by China at the time. Dong denied the allegations and filed a lawsuit against Global, its parent company Corus and several journalists just weeks after the story ran. In the final report of the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference, Justice Marie-Josée Hogue wrote that classified intelligence "corroborates Mr. Dong's denial of the allegation that he suggested the [People's Republic of China] should hold off releasing Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor. He did not suggest that the PRC extend their detention." In its statement, Global said it "recognizes the findings" of the inquiry's report, including the classified information reviewed by Hogue. The news organization added "the stories published by Global were based on information provided by confidential intelligence sources." "Mr. Dong has always denied the accuracy of this intelligence. In reporting on the sources' allegations concerning Mr. Dong, Global News's intent was to report on matters of significant public interest and to qualify that the allegations were unproven and subject to different interpretations," it said. In a statement to CBC News, Dong confirmed the settlement and said "after two long years, finally my family and I can move on." "I have had a profound appreciation of the privilege of holding a public office and being a member of the Liberal caucus," he said. Dong left the Liberal caucus in March 2023 to sit as an Independent MP. He did not seek re-election in the 2025 federal election in his suburban Toronto riding of Don Valley North after the Liberal Party told him they were going to run a new candidate, Maggie Chi — who later won the riding. WATCH | Dong quits Liberal caucus amid election interference allegations: MP Han Dong quits Liberal caucus amid election interference allegations 2 years ago Duration 2:17 In June 2024, an Ontario Superior Court judge found no documented evidence to support allegations made against Dong in the Global News articles. The judge's comments came as he rejected an application from Corus Entertainment to throw out Dong's lawsuit against the news service, saying it was in the public interest to hear the case. "The matter of Mr. Dong's communications with the Chinese are worthy of the freedom of expression of an open court system," Justice Paul Perell said in his judgment. Perell found the reporter who wrote the story did not see a transcript of the conversation between Dong and the diplomat, derived from the confidential sources, and did not keep all of the notes used as part of the reporting process. The ruling said the notes the reporter did keep, based on conversations with sources, do not contain any reference to Dong advising a Chinese diplomat to "delay" or "hold off" on releasing the two men. Kovrig and Spavor returned to Canada in September 2021, almost three years after they were first detained by China in what was widely seen to be a retaliatory action in response to Canada's arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on behalf of U.S. authorities.
Vancouver Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
What to know about the Weihei shipyard chosen by B.C. to build four major vessels
A 2024 Forbes article described how Asian countries, including China, were building ships at 'breakneck' speed and racing to get a foothold in North America. This week, B.C. Ferries announced that it had chosen CMI Weihai, a Chinese, state-owned shipyard, to build four new major vessels. It has set off a flurry of interest, including B.C.'s transportation minister flagging worries about the choice. In a statement, Mike Farnworth said: 'I do have concerns around procuring services from any country that is actively harming Canada's economy through unfair tariffs or other protectionist trade practices.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. CMI stands for China Merchants Industry Holdings Co., a firm that is part of the China Merchants Group, a state-owned conglomerate headquartered in Hong Kong with businesses in transportation, finance and property. Weihai is a city in China's Shandong province on its east coast, southeast of Beijing and north of Shanghai, across from Korea. CMI owns several shipyards in other Chinese cities and took over the Weihai shipyard in 2019. Before this, the Weihai shipyard was owned by another state-owned company, AVIC International, whose departure from the market was described as part of a major wave of consolidation of the shipbuilding business in China under the government's mandate. Shortly after this, Beijing announced it would merge its two largest shipbuilders — Shanghai-based China Shipbuilding Industry and China State Shipbuilding — into one mega, state-owned China Shipbuilding Group. China by far dominates the world shipbuilding market in all categories of vessels, followed by South Korea and Japan. The B.C. Ferries' announcement noted that CMI Weihai has built passenger and vehicle vessels for Stena RoRo in Sweden and Grimaldi Lines in Italy. It also noted that through a long relationship with Stena RoRo, CMI Weihai has also built vessels for Canada's Marine Atlantic ferry company, a federal Crown corporation, and other operators such as Corsica Lines and Brittany Ferries in France. In February 2024, CMI Weihai delivered a new ferry to Marine Atlantic for its line between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Canadian shipbuilders and others had protested when Marine Atlantic awarded a $100 million contract in late July 2021 to the Swedish company, which subcontracted construction to CMI Weihai. This was at a time when Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were held in Chinese prisons after Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. CFO Meng Wanzhou was detained in Canada on a U.S. extradition warrant over allegations of fraud. Grimaldi Lines said in April that it has commissioned the construction of nine so-called Ro-Pax ferries from CMI Weihai, with six that will serve routes in the Mediterranean and three that will be delivered to Finnish-company Finnlines and run in the Baltic Sea. The deal has been reported to be worth Euros1.3 billion or US$1.49 billion for ferries that will be delivered in 2028 to 2030. Not noted in B.C. Ferries' announcement is that when AVIC International owned the Weihai Shipyard, between 2011 and 2019, it acquired Deltamarin, a company headquartered in Turku, Finland. It's a ship design consultancy, established in 1990 with 400 experts in Finland and Poland. It's described on its website as being an independent part of the China Merchants Group. In May, when Deltamarin and CMI Weihai announced it will work together on the design and engineering of the vessels for Finnlines, it noted a 'long-standing partnership' and said this latest order brings the total number of vessels designed by Deltamarin and built by Weihai shipyard to 22 in the last 10 years. jlee-young@
