Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

'Real concerns' around foreign interference impeding improvement of Canada-China relations: Trudeau

Share
Singapore -

Canada-China relations are improving at a slower rate than expected due to “real concerns†around foreign interference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.

The prime minister made the comment during an armchair discussion at Bloomberg’s Singapore office. Trudeau is in the country to pitch Canada to private sector leaders. His visit to Singapore follows two days in Indonesia at the ASEAN summit.

“It has not gotten as much better as we perhaps would have liked to after the Michael situation was resolved, partially because there are real concerns about foreign interference,†Trudeau said when asked about the state of Canada-China relations.

Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arbitrarily detained in December 2018, days after Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested by Canadian officials at the request of U.S. authorities. They were finally released in September 2021 after more than 1,000 days in jail.

Trudeau said the arrests of Kovrig and Spavor put a chill on Canada-China relations. Two years after their release, Trudeau says the relationship between the two countries is “not deteriorating†but right now he says there is no space for a “rapprochement.â€

“No,†he said. “Certainty not at this moment.â€

Minutes before the prime minister’s armchair discussion with Bloomberg’s Erik Schatzker before dozens of private and public sector leaders, Canada revealed Marie-Josee Hogue would lead the review on Foreign Interference.

When it comes to engaging with China, Trudeau said Canada has to keep its eyes wide open.

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Childhood sleep issues may raise suicide risk, study finds

If your child sometimes has trouble sleeping, it may be easy to chalk it up to a phase they will grow out of one day. But a new study suggests possible serious consequences for this line of thought — such as a higher risk for suicidal ideation or attempts when they are older.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected