Canadian officials confirmed Friday that they were granted consular access to former Canadian diplomat detained in China on Monday on suspicion of "endangering national security."

"Today, Canada was granted consular access to Michael Kovrig," a statement by Global Affairs Canada said.

Canada's ambassador to China, John McCallum, met the former Canadian diplomat in Beijing, the statement said.

Kovrig, who was on an unpaid leave of absence from Global Affairs Canada to work as an expert on North-East Asia for the International Crisis Group, was arrested by the Beijing Bureau of Chinese State Security on Monday. He is being investigated for "endangering national security," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Thursday.

"Canadian consular officials continue to provide consular services to him and his family and will continue to seek further access to Mr Kovrig," the statement said. "Due to the provisions of the Privacy Act, no further information can be disclosed"

Canada continues to press for consular access to Michael Spavor, the second Canadian arrested on Monday, the statement added.

Spavor, who ran a non-profit organization that organized cultural and sports exchanges with Pyongyang, was arrested by the State Security Bureau of Dandong City, Liaoning Province, near the border with North Korea, Lu said.

'They ought to be returned'

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, second from left, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis right, and their Canadian counterparts Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland, second from right, and Canadian Minister of Defense Harjit Sajjan, left, leave the Benjamin Franklin Room as they conclude their news conference following a U.S.-Canada 2+2 Ministerial at the State Department in Washington, Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo)

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that the two Canadians are being unlawfully detained and should be returned to Canada.

Pompeo made the comments in Washington D.C. during a joint press conference with Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, U.S. Secretary of Defence James Mattis and Minister of Defence Harjit Sajjin.

"The unlawful detention of two Canadian citizens is unacceptable. They ought to be returned," Pompeo said.

"The United States has stood for that whether they are our citizens, or citizens of other countries. We ask all nations of the world to treat other citizens properly and the detention of these two Canadian citizens in China ought to end."

(listen to some of comments by Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo)

ListenEN_Interview_3-20181214-WIE30

'Welcome gesture'

Guy Saint-Jacques, Canada’s ambassador in China from 2012 and 2016 and Kovrig’s former boss, said the granting of consular access to Kovrig was a “welcome gesture” on the part of Chinese authorities. What remains to be seen is how often Canadian officials will be allowed to see Kovrig in the future.

Saint-Jacques said in the case of Kevin and Julia Garratt, Canadian missionaries detained in similar circumstances in 2014 and accused of espionage, Canadian officials were allowed to visit them once a month.

Given Kovrig’s status as an ex-diplomat, Canadian officials might be able to negotiate more frequent visits, perhaps, as often as once every three weeks, Saint-Jacques said.

“I think because of the nature of the case we will want to have regular access to Michael and check on his health, on his situation and I expect the government to continue to press to have this kind of regular access,” Saint-Jacques said.

Chinese delays in granting consular access to Spavor are probably related to the fact that in their eyes Kovrig is considered a much more ...