- Canadian PM Justin Trudeau says Ottawa will not be intimidated by China
- The situation comes amid a spat between the two nations over their respective diplomats
- Beijing recently expelled a Canadian diplomat from the consulate in Shanghai
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Ottawa will not be intimidated by China's actions amid a spat between the two countries over their respective diplomats.
On Tuesday, Beijing expelled a Canadian diplomat from the consulate in Shanghai, a seemingly retaliatory decision for a similar move by Ottawa. The situation began when Canada first ousted Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei from his post in the region following the discovery of his involvement in an intimidation ploy targeting Canadian lawmaker Michael Chong and his family.
Canada-Chinese Tensions Over Diplomats
In a statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that Beijing's decision was a "reciprocal countermeasure" in response to Ottawa's provocation. He argued that the decision was made to protect China's lawful rights and interests, as per Fox News.
Wang added that the move was consistent with China's established diplomatic practice and argued that it was justified and necessary. In response, the Canadian prime minister said it was indeed taken as a retaliatory act. However, he said that Ottawa would keep Canadians protected from foreign interference.
One of the most recent incidents that raised tensions between Canada and China was when Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly declared Zhao a persona non grata on Monday. Earlier this month, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) found that Beijing tried to gain information on any family members of Chong who may have been living within Chinese borders.
The move was believed to have been an attempt to "make an example of this MP and deter others" from taking any anti-China stance. In a Twitter statement, Joly said they would not tolerate any foreign interference in their internal affairs.
Following the decision to expel Zhao, Canadian authorities gave the Chinese official five days to leave the country. According to the Associated Press, one official who spoke anonymously said they were not authorized to speak publicly about the issue.
Alleged Attempt of Intimidation
Joly also warned other Chinese diplomats that if they acted similarly to Zhao, they would be sent home to the mainland. The CSIS said that Beijing targeted Chong after he criticized China's human rights record.
Chong, for some time, has been critical of China's treatment of its Uighur minority living in the Xinjiang province. The alleged plot details became public after a report last week, and the Canadian lawmaker said he learned about the issue through that report.
Trudeau's government has been facing growing pressure to take immediate action following the report of the plot against Chong and his family members. China previously sanctioned the lawmaker after leading a Canadian parliamentary motion designating China's treatment of its Uighur population a "genocide," said Aljazeera.
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