United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken (pictured) issued a statement on Wednesday in which he called for the "immediate and unconditional" release of Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig.
Blinken also stated that the US "continues to condemn" the arbitrary detentions on the aforementioned individuals, adding that they have not received "minimal procedural protections" during their two-and-a-half-year detention. Moreover, he noted that the US is concerned with the lack of transparency from China's side on the issue, saying that they need to give Canada full consular access to the individuals.
Earlier today, the European Union also condemned the decision by the Chinese courts to sentence Spavor to 11 years in prison over espionage charges. Canada's Justin Trudeau called the verdict "absolutely unacceptable and unjust."