After being seen confronting him about purported leaks of an earlier meeting at the Group of 20 (G20) summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping has since claimed that he was not criticizing Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada. This statement comes from the Chinese foreign ministry.
Speaking on behalf of the Chinese foreign ministry, Mao Ning stated on Thursday: "The video you described was in fact a brief chat both leaders had while at the G20 conference. That's perfectly typical. It shouldn't be taken as Chairman Xi criticizing or accusing anyone, in my opinion.
Beijing is in favor of candid discussions as long as they are held on an equal footing, he continued, and China hopes Canada will take steps to strengthen bilateral relations.
Xi and Trudeau may be seen speaking through a translator while standing close to one another in video footage that Canadian media outlets released on Wednesday.
Through the interpreter, Xi warned Trudeau, "Everything we discussed has been leaked to the paper; that's not appropriate."
Xi continues, "If there is sincerity, we can speak well with respect for one another; otherwise, the result won't be obvious."
China's leader was informed by Trudeau that Canada supports "free, open, and frank discussion," which will continue.
The G20 summit saw the first talks between the two presidents in more than three years. According to media sources, Trudeau raised "severe concerns" during the conversation about alleged spying and Chinese "intervention" in Canadian elections.
"Not every conversation is going to be easy, but it's absolutely important that we continue to speak up for the things that are important for Canadians," Trudeau said after the conversation with Xi.
According to a source in the Canadian administration, the discussions were kept informal, which explains why neither party released an official readout.
First and foremost, I want to emphasize that China never meddles in the internal affairs of other nations, said Mao, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, on Thursday.
Mao did not explain to reporters what Xi meant when he remarked, "that is not proper," or whether the news of Trudeau raising concerns about alleged Chinese influence on Tuesday was the cause of the exchange.
Mao said that Xi's remark to Trudeau that "the outcome will not be easy to tell" was not a threat because both leaders were only "expressing their separate perspectives" and having a "regular" conversation.
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