Canada confirms its one-China policy remains 'unchanged'
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In a meeting between China and Canada's foreign ministers in Beijing, both countries relay their dedication to continued bilateral development and cooperation.
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2024. (Xinhua)
Canada has reasserted the one-China policy during a meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Canadian counterpart, Melanie Joly, in Beijing, Global Affairs Canada reported.
Both ministers reportedly convened to discuss "opportunities and challenges in the bilateral relationship, as well as a wide range of global issues of common concern, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas conflict and tensions in the Korean Peninsula," according to the Canadian outlet.
Enhanced bilateral cooperation on shared issues within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and other international forums was mutually agreed on, as well as continuous accessibility to communication lines and ministerial meetings aimed at discussing and developing peace, trade, and security between both countries.
During the meeting, Joly said Canada "would continue to defend our democracy and the values it has always stood for, including human rights, the rule of law, and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, as Canada does consistently in its international engagement."
She further reaffirmed Canada's "unchanged" stance on the one-China policy.
In February, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi assured Joly that their countries were "not rivals, let alone enemies," as 'foreign interference' fears in Ottawa weigh on a tense bilateral relationship.
The two met in Germany on the sidelines of the Munich security conference, where Wang addressed the gathering of 180 leaders and defense chiefs, vowing that China would be a "force for stability" in the world.
It is worth mentioning that Beijing and Ottawa have had tense relations in recent years, namely following the arrest of a senior Chinese telecom executive on a US warrant in Vancouver back in December 2018 and in return, Beijing's detention of two Canadians on espionage charges.
