The Canadian government issued a statement on July 5 saying that the Chinese government refused to allow Canadian diplomats to attend the trial of Xiao Jianhua, a wealthy businessman and the controller of the Tomorrow Group.
Xiao Jianhua has Canadian citizenship.
"Canada has repeatedly requested to appear in the trial proceedings, which have been refused by the Chinese authorities," the Canadian government said.
The Canadian side pointed out that Xiao Jianhua's trial was held on July 4, but it did not mention where the trial was held or what charges he faced.
The Wall Street Journal reported on June 10, citing sources, that Shanghai prosecutors plan to charge Xiao Jianhua with "illegal absorption of public deposits."
People familiar with the matter said Xiao Jianhua was taken away in Hong Kong in January 2017 and brought back to mainland China and handed over to relevant authorities.
According to reports, he was first detained in Jiangsu and more recently in Shanghai.
The Chinese government has never confirmed whether Xiao Jianhua was detained or what charges he might face.
[Fugitive Offenders Regulations] Reuters: Central Discipline Inspection Commission is the driving force behind the amendment. The Xiao Jianhua incident was triggered. During the trial in Inner Shanghai, he wrote a letter to the top of the CCP begging for mercy