Zhao Wei, a Chinese diplomat, was designated “persona non grata” by the Canadian government for allegedly targeting a lawmaker who was critical of China’s human rights record. After a few hours, China declared a “reciprocal countermeasure” by ordering Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, a senior diplomat in the Canadian consulate, to leave the nation.
China and Canada’s diplomatic relations have been shaky for a while, notably since Canadian police detained Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou in 2018 on suspicion of fraud.
The leadership conflict was also evident at the G-20 conference that was held in Indonesia the previous year.
Points to Ponder:
Zhao Wei, a Chinese diplomat, was designated “persona non grata” by the Canadian government for allegedly targeting a lawmaker who was critical of China’s human rights record. After a few hours, China declared a “reciprocal countermeasure” by ordering Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, a senior diplomat in the Canadian consulate, to leave the nation.
China and Canada’s diplomatic relations have been shaky for a while, notably since Canadian police detained Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou in 2018 on suspicion of fraud.
The leadership conflict was also evident at the G-20 conference that was held in Indonesia the previous year.
Beijing denied Michael Chong entry into China after he spearheaded efforts in the Canadian House of Commons to label China’s treatment of Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang as “genocide.“
Following the release of the CSIS report’s specifics, the Canadian government came under fire for what was viewed as its passivity in the face of China. Chong expressed concern that he didn’t find out about the dangers to his family’s safety through official channels, but rather from a newspaper.
According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the spy service failed to inform him of the intelligence, which prompted internal discussion over the best course of action.
Zhao Wei was ejected from Canada on May 8 after Canada proclaimed him “persona non grata” and accused him of interfering with its internal affairs. Mélanie Joly, Canada’s minister of foreign affairs, declared that the country will not put up with any kind of foreign meddling.
China aggressively reacted to the expulsion, threatening retaliation actions and viewing it as a breach of international law. The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa asserted that the action was the result of rumours and that China does not meddle in the internal affairs of other nations.
China responded by ordering Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, a senior Canadian diplomat stationed at the Canadian consulate in Shanghai, to leave the country by May 13.
Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, asked Canada to stop its “unreasonable provocations” and said that China would retaliate firmly and powerfully if Canada persisted in its reckless behaviour.
The arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada in 2018 is the cause of the strained relations between Canada and China. In retaliation, China imprisoned two Canadians on suspicion of spying, which sparked claims of “hostage diplomacy.“
China’s suspension of Canadian canola shipments and claims of Chinese election meddling caused the relationship to worsen even further.
Due to security concerns, Canada has placed limits on Chinese companies using its communications infrastructure. These limitations, according to China, were put in place without sufficient justification, fueling the rivalry between the two nations in terms of technology.
At the G-20 conference in Indonesia, tensions between the leaders of the two nations were clear when Chinese President Xi Jinping and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau traded jabs over information that had been leaked about their meeting on Chinese intervention in internal matters.
