TORONTO: China accused two detained Canadians on Monday of acting together to steal state secrets, just days after Canada announced it will proceed with a US extradition request for a senior Chinese tech executive.

China arrested the two Canadians on Dec 10 in what was widely seen as an attempt to pressure Canada to release Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial of ficer of Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies, who was arrested in Vancouver on Dec 1 at the request of US authorities.

Meng`s arrest set off a diplomatic furore and has severely strained Canadian relations with China. The US is seeking the extradition of Meng, who is also the daughter of Huawei`s founder, to face charges she misled banks about the company`s business with Iran.

China`s of ficial Xinhua News Agency cited unidentified Chinese authorities as saying former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig violated Chinese laws by acting as a spy and stealing state secrets and intelligence with the help of Canadian businessman Michael Spavor. It was the first time the two men`s cases have been linked.It said Kovrig often entered China using an ordinary passport and business visas, and acquired information from Spavor, his `main contact`.

`Authorities stressed that China is a country ruled by law and will firmly crack down on criminal acts that severely undermine national security,` Xinhua said.

No other details were given and Xinhua said further judicial proceedings would `take place based on the case`s progress`.

`We are obviously very concerned by this position that China has taken, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. `It is unfortunate that China continues to move forward on these arbitrary detentions.

Kovrig is a former diplomat who was working as an expert on Asia for the International Crisis Group think tank.

Spavor is an entrepreneur known for contacts with high-ranking North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong-un.

Canada said on Friday that it will allow court hearings for the US extradition request for Meng to proceed.

David Mulroney, a former Canadianambassador to China, said the new allegations against Kovrig and Spavor are a response to that action.

`Every step in the process will be matched by a step by China. The desire is to raise the raise the pressure to extent that we simply give in,` Mulroney said.

Meng is due in court on Wednesday to set a date for the extradition proceedings to start. It could be several months or even years before her case is resolved.

Guy Saint-Jacques, also a former Canadian ambassador to China, said Beijing is clearly putting additional pressure on Canada.

`It`s a predicable escalation in the crisis,` he said. `They are probably hoping it will convince the prime minister to free Meng.

Lawyers for Meng, who is staying at a property she owns in Vancouver after her release on bail, said on Sunday she is suing the Canadian government, its border agency and the national police force, alleging she was detained, searched and interrogated before she was told she was under arrest.-AP