Canadian, Chinese Foreign Ministers Hold First Official Talk in More Than a Year

The ministers discussed a range of issues including the Israel–Hamas conflict, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and ongoing challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Dec. 11, 2023. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly held her first formal talk with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in more than a year and a half amid heightened attention to Chinese interference in Canada.

The ministers covered a broad range of international and regional issues during their talk, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) said in a Jan. 11 press release. Topics included the Israel–Hamas conflict, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and ongoing challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Minister Joly highlighted that amidst an international security crisis, Canada will pursue pragmatic diplomacy,” said the release. She also stressed Canada’s intention to uphold its “interests and values” as outlined in Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, and defend international rules-based order, the release said.

This was the first formal meeting between the two ministers since April 5, 2022, a GAC spokesperson told The Epoch Times. The spokesperson, requesting anonymity, noted that the ministers have maintained engagement, such as during international summits, which ultimately led to their latest phone conversation.

The Canada–China relationship has deteriorated amid conflicts, including Canada’s arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou and China’s subsequent detention of two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, widely regarded as retaliatory hostage diplomacy. The situation worsened with reports of China operating secret police stations in countries around the world, including Canada.

Canada is also scheduled to launch a public inquiry into foreign interference later this month, specifically investigating China’s alleged meddling in the 2019 and 2021 general elections.

The Chinese Communist Party’s foreign interference in Canada has garnered public attention and media coverage over the past year. The Globe and Mail reported, citing unnamed national security sources, that Chinese consulates devised a sophisticated strategy to re-elect a Liberal minority in 2021 and defeat Conservative MPs critical of the regime. Global News also reported on Nov. 7, 2022, that China provided funding to at least 11 candidates in the 2019 campaign.

When asked whether Ms. Joly raised these issues, including the Chinese regime’s various human rights violations, during her talk with Mr. Wang, the GAC spokesperson declined to provide further details. The release highlighted that both ministers expressed an interest in keeping “communication channels open” despite ongoing challenges in the bilateral relationship.

‘Pragmatic Diplomacy’

The GAC release highlighted Ms. Joly’s approach toward China, which she characterized as “pragmatic diplomacy.” The minister introduced this doctrine as part of the two-pronged approach guiding Canada’s foreign policy in a speech at an Economic Club of Canada event in Toronto on Oct. 30, 2023.

In her speech, Ms. Joly cited former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau’s engagement with “non-aligned countries,” such as the Soviet Union, as inspiration for her doctrine of pragmatic diplomacy. She advocated using this approach to engage countries that may not share Canada’s worldview or values, saying it was a way to avoid conflict.

“We must resist the temptation to divide the world into rigid ideological camps. For the world cannot be reduced to Democracies versus autocracies,” Ms. Joly said.

The minister’s remarks followed a rare public appearance by David Vigneault, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), alongside counterparts in the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance. In a collective statement, intelligence officials warned about the increasing threats posed by the Chinese communist regime. Mr. Vigneault emphasized China’s pervasive influence, citing instances of intellectual property theft in Canadian academic institutions and intimidation of the Chinese diaspora.

“Unfortunately, the rules of engagement, the rules of the games have changed,” Mr. Vigneault said.

He also underscored the importance of creating frameworks aimed at balancing openness, transparency, and innovation, while safeguarding essential values like freedom, democracy, and protection from interference and coercion.