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China-Canada relations
ChinaDiplomacy

China urges Canada to ‘take measures’ to prevent ‘rumours’ after interference allegations

  • Foreign Minister Qin Gang calls allegations of election interference in Canada ‘groundless’
  • 65 per cent of Canadians believe Beijing ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ tried to interfere in 2021 vote, new survey shows

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China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang says Canada should act to stop “rumours” from damaging ties, in response to interference allegations. Photo: Xinhua
Shi Jiangtao

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has denied allegations that Beijing tried to interfere in Canada’s elections, and urged Ottawa to “take measures” to prevent “rumours” from disrupting bilateral ties.

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During a meeting with his Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers’ gathering in New Delhi on Thursday, Qin also said Ottawa should help steer bilateral ties away from media “hype”, according to state news agency Xinhua.

According to a statement from Joly on Friday, she told Qin that “Canada will never tolerate any form of foreign interference in our democracy and internal affairs by China.

“We will never accept any breach of our territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Joly said, according to the statement. “We will never accept any breach by Chinese diplomats of the Vienna Convention on Canada’s soil.”

The ministers’ remarks came as domestic pressure mounted on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government over media reports that cited intelligence documents alleging Chinese embassies and consulates in Canada tried to interfere in the 2019 and 2021 general elections.

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Qin called the accusations “groundless” and “nonsensical”.

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