Xi rebukes Trudeau on camera over leaked discussions

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Chinese President Xi Jinping criticized Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on camera at the G20 summit, in a scene that could further complicate the already strained relations between the two countries.

Footage recorded by reporters at the Bali summit for world leaders on Wednesday showed Xi rebuking Trudeau after details of a discussion between the two leaders were leaked to the media.

Trudeau literally can’t even walk after Xi Jinping publicly FLOGS him over leaking their private meeting to the presspic.twitter.com/IFuQrxk8Ko

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 16, 2022

Trudeau had on Tuesday raised with Xi the issue of what he called the Chinese "interference" with Canadian citizens after Ottawa in recent weeks accused Beijing of intervening in its judicial systems.

The meeting was the first face-to-face dialogue between the two leaders since 2019.

In the one-minute video clip recorded on the sidelines of the Indonesian summit, Xi tells Trudeau through an interpreter, "Everything we discussed has been leaked to the papers. That is not appropriate."

"And that's not the way (our discussion) was conducted, was it?", the Chinese President told the Canadian leader.

He added that "If there is sincerity, we can have conversations based on an attitude of mutual respect. Otherwise, the results will be unpredictable."

On his part, Trudeau claimed that "in Canada, we believe in free, 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 disagree on," he told Xi, disregarding the leak accusations the Chinese President directed at him.

The Chinese leader replies back, "Create the conditions. Create the conditions."

The tone was akin to "a great power speaking to a less-great power," considered Van Jackson, senior lecturer in international relations at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

"Xi's language and body posture was not at all unusual for government officials who are on less than friendly terms -- in private," Jackson told AFP.

Canadian federal police said last week they were investigating so-called police stations allegedly set up by Beijing in the North American country.

Trudeau also said last week China was playing "aggressive games" after Canadian broadcaster Global News reported on a "clandestine network" of federal election candidates allegedly funded by Beijing.

Relations between the two countries deteriorated after Canadian authorities arrested Huawei Executive Meng Wanzhou in 2018 for violating US sanctions against Iran.

Beijing later arrested two Canadian citizens in China, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig.

Meng and the two Canadians were released last year after lengthy negotiations.

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