Why did Xi scold Trudeau? Maybe because Canada spent years helping China erode human rights
Why did Xi scold Trudeau? Maybe because Canada spent years helping China erode human rights
November 18, 2022
By David Webster
The Conversation
Chinese president Xi Jinping has given Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a well-publicized dressing-down, accusing him of leaking to the media the contents of a meeting between the two leaders about alleged Chinese interference in the 2019 federal election.
The confrontation has grabbed attention around the world and sparked debate about the ways diplomatic conversations are communicated to the public.
It’s also an object lesson in diplomatic communication as Xi was apparently trying to push Canada back towards an earlier Canadian stance that accepted closed-door discussion. Chinese leaders believe they can push Canada around, because Canadian governments have been broadcasting for decades that they don’t mind being pushed around.
That’s one reason why China feels free to arrest Canadian citizens like Huseyin Celil, “re-educate” Uighurs and thumb its nose at the global human rights system.
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