Speculation will mar probe on Canadians

Reuters even said that, "China's state secrets law is notoriously broad, covering everything from industry data to the exact birth dates of State leaders", and that "the theft of State secrets is punishable with life in prison or the death penalty in China", hinting that the law could be abused in China.

But since the truth behind the case is still not known, biased and sensational reporting will only confuse the public and interfere with the investigations.

China's remarkable progress and respect for the rule of law are proof that it has no ulterior motives. But by making great advances on the economic, social and military and other fronts, China has also made itself the target of spying by some foreign countries. Facts show that China has been one of the world's largest victims of hacking and espionage in recent years.

China has been targeted not only by foreign spies, but also by some Chinese people who were bought by foreign intelligence agencies to steal China's State secrets. The most recent case is the prosecution of a student majoring in aeronautics and astronautics at a university in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, by local procurators on the charge of receiving money to collect internal confidential materials for a foreign agent.

China is a country governed by law, and all cases, including suspected espionage cases, will be handled according to the law of the land following normal judicial procedure. The investigation against the Canadian couple will not be an exception.

There is, therefore, no need to publish or telecast speculative reports on the case. Instead, investigative officers should be given time to do their job sincerely and thoroughly to dig out the truth.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily. wuyixue@chinadaily.com.cn