Nusa Dua, Indonesia: Chinese President Xi Jinping chastised Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G-20 summit on Wednesday for leaking details of a prior meeting during which Trudeau expressed concern about Chinese interference in domestic affairs.
A Chinese spokesperson on Thursday accused Canada of acting in a “condescending manner” following a testy exchange between President Xi Jinping and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that underscores the depths to which the bilateral relationship has fallen.
Trudeau first spoke with Xi at the G-20 Tuesday. A senior Canadian government official said the two spoke about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, North Korea, and climate change, and that Trudeau also raised “our serious concerns around interference activities in Canada.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
Later, the two had a brief encounter at a G-20 event that news outlets were able to record. “Everything we discussed has been leaked to the paper; that’s not appropriate,” Xi told Trudeau through the interpreter. “In Canada, we believe in free and open and frank dialogue and that is what we will continue to have,” Trudeau replied. Xi looked around as Trudeau replied.
“Let’s create the conditions first,” Xi responded through the interpreter. The two shook hands after the brief encounter.
