Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he had more to say to Chinese President Xi Jinping than just a perfunctory hello.
Trudeau says he made the point to Xi that it’s important their two countries keep their lines of communication open.
He says it’s essential that Canada and China keep working toward creating what Trudeau calls constructive dialogue.
The two leaders shared a brief encounter Thursday when they stood elbow-to-elbow for the family photo at the APEC summit in San Francisco.
Xi and U.S. President Joe Biden have been the talk of the summit all week after their closely watched four-hour meeting Wednesday.
Trudeau calls that meeting an important and positive development not only for U.S.-China relations, but for the broader world at large.
Canada and China “need to keep our officials and teams working together to try and create constructive dialogue around issues that matter to us individually, but also matter to the world,” Trudeau said.
“This is part of the ongoing engagement that Canada needs to have around the world, including with countries we disagree with.”
Biden and Xi agreed to resume communications between their respective militaries, a channel that went largely dormant after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022.
As a result, the Pentagon was unable to liaise with its Chinese counterparts earlier this year when a spy balloon drifted through North American airspace.
Trudeau acknowledged that Canada’s relations with China haven’t exactly been warm recently either.
Beijing detained Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig for nearly three years, a move widely seen as retribution for Canada’s detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou over the same period.
China meanwhile imposed multi-year bans on Canadian imports of meat and canola, claiming concerns about unspecified pests.
And a year after the Canadian government named China as a disruptive global force and declared Beijing as responsible for attempts at foreign interference, the Chinese government left Canada out as it loosened restrictions on group travel.
“We have always been very, very clear, going back years now, with our concerns around foreign interference, and we’re going to continue to do everything necessary to keep Canadians safe,” Trudeau said.
“At the same time, we have to look for constructive ways to engage in the global economy, and China remains an important player.”
In September, Ottawa appointed a judge to lead a public inquiry into foreign interference in federal electoral processes and democratic institutions, with a mandate that singles out “China, Russia and other foreign states or nonstate actors.”
Earlier this year, Conservative MP Michael Chong testified before a congressional committee about his experiences as a target of Chinese coercion and misinformation campaigns.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 17, 2023.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — New Zealand won the Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time, beating South Africa by 32 runs on Sunday after a standout performance from Amelia Kerr with bat and ball.
South Africa’s chase was held to 126-9 in 20 overs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in reply to New Zealand’s 158-5 in the final of the 18-day tournament.
South Africa was also seeking to become a first-time champion.
After South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and opted to bowl, Kerr top scored for New Zealand with a 38-ball 43. Brooke Halliday hit 38 runs in 28 deliveries and opener Suzie Bates scored 32 in 31. Nonkululeko Mlaba took 2-31 in four overs for South Africa.
South Africa made a strong start to its chase, reaching 51-1 in 6.5 overs but never really threatened afterward, reaching the halfway stage of its innings at 64-3.
Wolvaardt top scored for South Africa with a 27-ball 33.
Kerr took 3-24 in her four overs, including Wolvaardt’s wicket.
This was South Africa’s second straight final appearance in the tournament. Losing to Australia by 19 runs, it had finished runners-up in its home tournament in 2023, its best result in the tournament.
New Zealand, meanwhile, reached the tournament final for the first time since 2010. In the first two editions – 2009 and 2010 – it had lost to England by six wickets in London, and to Australia by three runs in Barbados.
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Sunday canceled his trip to Russia for a BRICS summit after an accident at home that left him with a cut in the neck, his office said.
The 78-year-old leader was scheduled to attend a summit of the BRICS bloc of developing economies in the city of Kazan from Tuesday to Thursday this week.
Hospital Sirio Libanês in Sao Paulo said in a statement that the leftist leader was instructed not to take long distance trips, but can keep his other activities. Doctors Roberto Kalil and Ana Heleno Germoglio said they will regularly check on Lula’s recovery.
Brazil’s presidency said in a separate statement that Lula will take part in the summit by videoconference and will continue his work in capital Brasilia this week. It did not disclose details about what caused the president’s injury.
