Chinese President Xi Jinping publicly criticises Justin Trudeau for alleged leaks
Canadian broadcasters caught Chinese leader Xi Jinping in a rare moment of candour on Wednesday, when he lectured his counterpart, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, over what he called “leaked” discussions.
A smiling Xi Jinping spoke Mandarin with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia. The English version of what he stated, though, was a bit less warm and fuzzy.
Xi’s translator expressed “Everything we’ve discussed has been leaked to the papers and that is not appropriate,”
With a nod from Trudeau, Xi continued his speech. “And that was not how the conversation was conducted,”
Xi informs the Canadian leader, “If there was sincerity on your part, than we shall conduct our discussion with an attitude of mutual respect, otherwise there might be unpredictable consequences,”
Xi’s translator starts to translate, but Trudeau interrupts him after he says, “If there was sincerity on your part,”
“We will continue to work constructively together, but there will be topics that we will disagree on,” Trudeau said, adding that “in Canada we believe in a free and open and frank debate.”
The interpreter for Xi in the video added, “Let’s create the conditions first,” After extending a hand to Trudeau, the Chinese leader and his entourage moved away.
This conversation provides an unusual look at how Xi, whose public appearances are carefully staged, communicates with other world leaders.
Their conversation occurs as Xi, after nearly three years away from the international spotlight, prepares to reassert China’s global dominance at the summit on the island of Bali.
Due to escalating geopolitical tensions, arguments over trade and the origins of the Covid-19 epidemic, and Beijing’s expanding collaboration with Moscow despite Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s relations with its U.S. allies have worsened to varied degrees in recent years.
As a key executive at Huawei, Meng Wanzhou, was jailed in Canada in 2018, it’s possible that this snub was in response to the tense relationship between Canada and Huawei since Meng’s arrest. On day nine after arriving in China, two Canadians were detained. The year 2021 saw the release of all three.
