Canada won't tolerate interference in its affairs, FM tells China
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly looks dejected as she attends the G-20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, India, March 2, 2023. (AFP Photo)


Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly told her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang that Ottawa will never tolerate any foreign interference in its internal affairs, in a recent encounter at a G-20 meeting in India on Friday.

Joly was "direct, firm, and unequivocal" in her first, but somewhat disgruntled, meeting with Qin as China's foreign minister, according to the statement.

Recent Canadian media reports, citing anonymous intelligence sources, have alleged attempts by China to interfere in Canada's last two elections. Beijing denies those allegations.

"Canada will never tolerate any form of foreign interference in our democracy and internal affairs by China," Joly told Qin, according to the statement.

"We will never accept any breach of our territorial integrity and sovereignty," Joly said. "We will never accept any breach by Chinese diplomats of the Vienna Convention on Canada's soil."

Earlier on Friday, Qin rejected allegations that Chinese Embassies and Consulates in Canada were trying to interfere in Canadian elections, saying the alleged interference was "completely false and nonsensical."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the alleged interference attempts by China but insisted the outcomes of the votes were not altered. He is under pressure to set up a public inquiry into those claims after a parliamentary committee passed a motion on Thursday seeking a probe.