A Chinese court has convicted a Canadian businessman of espionage and sentenced him to 11 years in prison.
Michael Spavor had been detained since 2018, after being arrested by former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig.
The ruling could spark tensions between the Canadian and Chinese governments.
This comes as an unprecedented war involving Meng Wanzhou, CEO of Huawei, a major mobile operator in Canada.
Critics have accused China of linking Spavor and Kovrig with kidnapping diplomats.
In a statement published Wednesday, the Dandong court said: "For spying crime and illegal smuggling [Spavor] has been sentenced to 11 years in prison, paying 50,000 yuan ($ 7715: £ 5578) worth of personal property and dismissal. "
However, the statement did not make it clear when the deportation would take place but China usually relocates convicted foreigners only after completing their prison terms.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the sentence was completely unfair and unacceptable.
The sentence comes two and a half years after the arrests, with no transparency in legal proceedings and even limited to international law, according to a Reuters report.
