Chinese FM says Canada is not 'an adversary'

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi assured his Canadian counterpart, Melanie Joly, on Saturday that their countries are "not adversaries," amid concerns of foreign interference in Ottawa casting shadows over the strained bilateral relations.

The ministers met on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, where Wang addressed the meeting attended by 180 leaders and defense ministers, pledging for China to be "a force for stability" in the world.

Tensions between Beijing and Ottawa have been high in recent years following the arrest of a top Chinese executive in Vancouver in December 2018 under a US extradition warrant, which was met with Beijing's detention of Canadians on espionage charges, exacerbating the crisis.

Canada initiated investigations into foreign interference, especially from China, in its electoral and democratic processes last year.

China has been accused of attempting to interfere in Canadian elections in 2019 and 2021, while Ottawa expelled a Chinese diplomat in May 2023 over allegations of intimidation.

Wang told Joly on Saturday that "the current situation... is not what China desires," according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry released on Sunday.

He added, "The two sides are not adversaries, let alone enemies, and should become cooperative partners."

Wang urged Canada to "stop hyping up the +China threat theory+ and spreading false information about the so-called Chinese interference in domestic affairs."

The foreign ministers also discussed "critical issues of global security, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East," according to a statement from the Canadian government about the meeting.

The statement further emphasized that "the ministers agreed on the need to continue practical and constructive discussions on bilateral issues, in a spirit of mutual respect with regular communication between the two sides."

AFP