In an exclusive interview with Radio NL the Prime Minister is ratcheting up the language he is using when asked about tensions with China and the detention of two Canadians.

Justin Trudeau says other countries are lining up behind Canada in condemning China for the continuing detention of diplomat Michael Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor.

“We are going to continue to explain to China that Canada is a country of the rule of law. That we will follow the proper processes. It is unacceptable that they have arbitrarily detained two Canadians for entirely political reasons when we are behaving in a responsible and legal way.”

Trudeau says Canada continues to engage with Chinese authorities on consular access to both men.

“One of the things that has been encouraging in my conversations over the past week with various world leaders from President Tusk of the European Union to President Trump to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan is that there has been widespread support for Canada and criticism of China for acting in an arbitrary way.”

Both Spavor and Kovrig were detained in China on the heels of the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver at the request of US authorities for extradition.

The full interview with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is below.