Speculation will mar probe on Canadians

Kevin and Julia Dawn Garratt, a Canadian couple living in China, are being investigated by the State Security Bureau of Dandong, a city in Liaoning province bordering the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in line with Chinese laws, Xinhua News Agency said on Aug 4. The couple ran a coffee shop in Dandong.

"Kevin Garratt and his wife are suspected of collecting and stealing intelligence materials related to Chinese military targets and important Chinese national defense scientific research programs, and engaging in activities that endanger China's national security," the Foreign Ministry said a day later. Liaoning's provincial security authorities have notified the Canadian Embassy about the investigation and the fact that the couple's "various rights have been fully guaranteed".

These are all we know about the suspected spying case involving the Canadian couple. Although limited, the information is enough to tell us that the Chinese authorities have kept the related parties informed about the development and adopted normal procedures to take the case forward. Given their highly sensitive nature, it is common for countries not to disclose detailed information on espionage cases until investigations are complete because doing so could jeopardize the probes.

Nevertheless, the news of the investigation against the Garratt couple has been greeted with speculations in Canadian and other Western media outlets, with some questioning the timing of the investigation and linking it to Canada's recent accusation that Chinese hackers had infiltrated computers at the Canadian National Research Council. Their hint is that the investigation against the Garratts is in retaliation to Canada's accusations. Some have used lurid words to describe the case and question China's motive, with one saying, "it is the first time that foreigners are charged with the crime of stealing military secrets in China since its cultural revolution (1966-76)".

The Global News, a Canadian newspaper, conducted a long interview with the couple's two sons and quoted them as saying that they doubted the legitimacy of China's move. "It sounds ridiculous", one of the couple's sons was quoted by CBC News Network as saying. "It just seems like my parents are caught up in some sort of a political mess and it's not actually anything to do with them. It just happens to be that they're Canadians and fit the type of people that needed to be made an example of," the other son was cited as saying on Tuesday.