The two had a conversation on Wednesday at an event during the G20 summit in Indonesia, and the media was able to record the brief conversation.
“Everything we’re talking about has been leaked to the newspaper; that’s not appropriate,” Xi told Trudeau through an interpreter.
“That’s not how the conversation was conducted. If there’s any honesty on your part –” Xi said, at which point Trudeau cut him off.
“We believe in free, open and honest dialogue and we will continue to have that. We will continue to try to work constructively together, but there will be things we will disagree on,” Trudeau said.
“Let’s create the conditions first,” Xi replied through the interpreter.
The two shook hands after the brief conversation.
Trudeau spoke with Xi on Tuesday, and his office said afterward that he had raised concerns about Chinese interference in Canada, following allegations of de facto police stations operating in Canada and China allegedly meddling in the 2019 general election. .
International media stories citing a government source said the pair discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, North Korea and climate change during a brief meeting in a packed room at the summit.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on November 16, 2022.
