Bali, 16 November 2022 (TDI): Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under fire from Chinese President Xi Jinping for allegedly acting inappropriately by leaking details of a conversation between the two leaders to the media.
The allegations were made as the two leaders ran into each other in a public area in Bali, Indonesia, where they are both in attendance at the G20 summit.
“Everything we discuss has been leaked to the paper; that’s not appropriate,” Xi told Trudeau via an interpreter. “That’s not … the way the conversation was conducted. If there is sincerity on your part—” he further enunciated.
Trudeau interrupted the Chinese leader by telling him that even though they disagree, they ought to collaborate.
“We believe in free and open and frank dialogue and that is what we will continue to have. We will continue to look to work constructively together, but there will be things we will disagree on, and we will have to…” Trudeau said before Xi cut him off.
While Xi while extending his hand to Trudeau, before shaking hands and parting ways said “Let’s create the conditions first.”
On the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali on Tuesday, Trudeau and Xi exchanged brief words. A readout of the conversation following the unofficial meeting, noting the topics that were discussed and who raised them was shared by Trudeau’s office.
According to the readout, during the brief conversation between the two leaders, Trudeau expressed concern about media reports that China had secretly funded 11 candidates in the 2019 federal election.
The upcoming COP15 summit in Montréal, North Korea’s ongoing aggression against South Korea, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were topics of discussion between the two leaders.
In response to the incident, Trudeau said during his final press conference that his government believes its constituents want to know about the work he is carrying out on their behalf.
“I won’t shy away from being open with Canadians, even as we discuss important and sometimes delicate subjects,” he said.
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