‘I don’t want to work like that’

It was one of the few unscripted, public communications of Chinese President Xi Jinping. That’s what makes the clash between Xi and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau so remarkable.

On the last day of the G20 summit, a crucial gathering of nineteen countries and the EU, Xi and Trudeau clashed in front of the camera. That confrontation was about: a private, ten-minute meeting between the two world leaders, which Trudeau later summarized for the Canadian press.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the two world leaders discussed Ukraine, the Russian invasion of North Korea and climate change. AP news agency reported. Trudeau has expressed his “serious concerns” about spying and Chinese interference in Canadian elections.

A thorn in Xi’s side is that the Canadian media may later publish the contents of the meeting. “Everything we discussed has been leaked to the media. I don’t want to work like that,” he tells Trudeau through an interpreter in a conference room lined with flags. “That’s not the way we’re having this conversation.”

Very innocent

Trudeau responded immediately before Xi’s interpreter translated the reprimand. “In Canada, we believe in free, open dialogue. That is what we will continue to do,” said the Canadian leader. “We want to continue to work together creatively, but there will always be things we disagree on.” “Let’s create those conditions first,” Shi says, almost turning away.

The two shake hands, but the matter seems settled. As Xi walks away from the conversation, he mutters “Hen Tian Zhen’ Meaning something like ‘very innocent’.

The conversation follows a week of worrisome incidents between Canada and China. Last week, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie called China an “increasingly destabilizing global power.” He called on Canadian companies not to strengthen ties with China because it would pose “geopolitical risks.” On Monday, Canadian police accused a Hydro-Québec employee of passing trade secrets to China.

A small, insignificant country

Relations between the two countries have been particularly tense since Canadian authorities arrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese tech giant Huawei, in 2018. He was charged with fraud in the United States. Shortly thereafter, China imprisoned two Canadians, who were released the same day Meng returned to China By treaty with the United States.

Was Shi’s rant caught on camera a coincidence? According to Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to China, Xi may have wanted to send a “clear message” to Trudeau and other Western leaders. Canadian news site CTV News. “He has no time or interest in Trudeau. It’s very difficult to improve relations.

At a later press conference, Trudeau stood his ground. “Not every conversation will be easy, but we must stick to the priorities of Canadians.”

However, according to China, little is happening. On Thursday, China’s Foreign Ministry called the meeting “very normal”. “I don’t think we should interpret this as Xi criticizing anyone,” a spokesman said of the reprimand.