Carney says China does not share concerns about ‘foreign interference’ – nationally
Prime Minister Prime Minister Carney says Beijing does not understand how much Canadians take foreign intervention, after raising them with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“We had a discussion about foreign interference,” Carney told reporters Saturday before leaving the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in Gyeongju, South Korea.
“I don’t think they realize the level of concern we have about these issues, but we deal with these issues in Canada; we have a structure to deal with them.”
The prime minister referred to China as a “rising economic power.”
Carney and XI met alongside senior officials on Friday for 40 minutes, the first formal meeting between the leaders of the two countries since 2017. Both marked it as a turning point in the relationship.
A public inquiry in January identified China as the top pepetrator of dealing with Canada’s democratic institutions, and found that Beijing tried to interfere in the recent election.
Carney said Canada’s strategy is to work together where there is common ground and respect each other’s differences, while protecting Canada’s interests.
He said he did not expect to make progress at the meeting in his bid to get China to drop tariffs on Canada, seafood and pork products, which came in retaliation to Ottawa’s tariffs on China’s electric cars.
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According to Canney, instead, he said the meeting will “get that relationship at the highest level for the first time in eight years” to work out how to make changes “in that system.”
He also suggested establishing an understanding of the trajectory of bilateral relations “what you do in a relationship as opposed to a transaction,” and how best to contain the issues with China.
“Sometimes people simplify them, go in ‘if you give this that’ – that’s not how it works,” said Carney, adding that without the XI meeting, “there would be no progress on those issues.”
The two most affected states seem to accept that thinking.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said Friday the Xi-Carney meeting was a good step forward, and it would be unrealistic for China to remove tariffs.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Friday’s meeting was a good start and “certainly what I’ve been asking for.”
Carney also suggested that he would not renew the restrictions imposed by the Trudeau government on Chinese investment in Canada, such as in the telecommunications sector.
The prime minister said that he is very interested in the future decisions, noting that there are “critical areas in terms of internal investment.”
He said China and Canada can work together on “global solutions to climate change” and find stability amid changes in the “international monetary and financial system.”
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