

Web Staff, CP24.com





Government officials in Ottawa are considering raising the risk level for Canadians travelling to China, CTV News has learned.

The primary motivation behind the idea is safety and no final decision has been made.

The discussion comes amid tensions with China over the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou.

On Tuesday, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale confirmed that a former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig is now being held in Beijing. Kovrig was the political lead for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's 2016 visit to Hong Kong.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the government is taking Kovrig’s arrest “very seriously” and has been in touch with Chinese diplomats to discuss the matter.

“We are engaged on the file, which we take very seriously and we are, of course, providing consular assistance to the family,” Trudeau told reporters.

- With files from CTV News and The Canadian Press