In more than three years, Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau [pictured below] & Chinese President Xi Jinping have officially had their first talks. The discussion between the two leaders happened on the sidelines of the G20 meeting on the Indonesian Island of Bali. And after the unofficial meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a readout of the conservation noting the topics discussed & who raised them.
It’s claimed that Trudeau raised a serious concern over suspected domestic interference by China, Reuters quoted a Canadian government source as saying. The two leaders also discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and North Korea and the importance of December’s summit in Montreal to protect nature and fight climate change.
However, Xi Jinping has expressed his displeasure over the leaking of the details of the conversation.
A video, now viral showed the President airing his anger that everything discussed had been leaked to the paper[s]. He added: “That’s not appropriate and that’s not the way the conversation was conducted,” Jinping was heard saying. In response, Trudeau said: “In Canada, we believe in free and open and frank dialogue and that is what we will continue to have.”
Trudeau insisted he will continue to look to work constructively together with the President but that there will be things they will disagree on.
The conversation between the leaders wasn’t an official bilateral meeting like the ones Jinping had with leaders, including Argentina’s President Alberto Angel Fernandez, U.S. President Joe Biden, & French President Emmanuel Macron. On the other hand, Trudeau used his closing press conference to announce the mission to train Ukrainian soldiers in Great Britain as part of what’s called Operation Unifier.