China probes Canadian Christian couple for alleged spying

China is investigating a Canadian Christian couple for alleged espionage, state media and their son said Tuesday, a week after Ottawa accused Beijing of cyber-spying. Kevin Garratt and Julia Dawn Garratt ‘are under investigation for suspected theft of state secrets about China's military and national defence research,’ the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The couple first came to China decades ago and now run Peter's Coffee House in Dandong, on the border with North Korea, their son Simeon said. The cafe overlooks the Yalu River and the Friendship Bridge linking the two countries, and the ‘T’ in its name is in the shape of a crucifix, with a backdrop resembling a stained-glass window. China's definition of state secrets can be very broad, and the Xinhua report did not specify what was allegedly stolen, adding only that the probe was being conducted by the State Security Bureau in Dandong, according to AFP.