DailyExpertNews
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Chinese leader Xi Jinping was captured by Canadian broadcasters in a rare candid moment on Wednesday, where he was filmed berating his Canadian counterpart, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, over what he described as “leaked” discussions.
On the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia, Xi chatted with Trudeau in Mandarin, smiling. But the English translation of what he said was a little less friendly.
“Everything we discussed has been leaked to the newspapers and it is not appropriate,” Xi’s translator said.
Trudeau nodded and Xi spoke again. “And that’s not how the conversation was conducted,” said the translator.
“If there was sincerity on your part, then we will conduct our discussion with an attitude of mutual respect, otherwise there may be unpredictable consequences,” Xi told the Canadian leader in Mandarin.
Xi’s translator tries to translate what was said, only getting to “If there was sincerity on your part”, before being interrupted by Trudeau.
“In Canada, we believe in free and open and candid dialogue,” Trudeau said, adding “we will continue to work together constructively, but there will be things we will not agree on.”
“Let’s create the conditions first,” the translator said in the video on behalf of Xi. The Chinese leader then shakes hands with Trudeau and walks off with his entourage.
The exchange offers a rare glimpse of how Xi, whose public appearances are highly choreographed, interacts with other leaders.
Not every conversation will be “easy,” Trudeau said Wednesday, according to a statement he gave to the press after the exchange.
“But it is extremely important that we continue to stand up for the things that matter to Canadians. This is something we always do and we will continue to do,” Trudeau said.
Their exchange comes as Xi seeks to reaffirm China’s global influence at the Bali island summit after nearly three years away from the world stage.
China’s relations with allies of the United States have deteriorated to varying degrees in recent years due to rising geopolitical tensions, trade disputes and the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as Beijing’s growing partnership with Moscow – despite the war of Russia against Ukraine.
Xi has attempted to mend relations at the summit, which is due to meet with US President Joe Biden on Monday. He also held formal talks with the leaders of Australia, France, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Senegal, Argentina, Indonesia and South Korea.
Canada was not offered such a meeting, and the disapproval could be related to the country’s rocky relationship since senior Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was detained in Canada in 2018. Nine days later, two Canadians were detained in China. All three will be released in 2021.