Relations are strained between Beijing and Ottawa. China announced Tuesday that it would expel the Canadian consul in Shanghai in retaliation, after a similar decision by Ottawa towards a Chinese diplomat accused of having sought to intimidate a Canadian MP. “China decides to declare Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, Consul of the Canadian Consulate General in Shanghai, persona non grata,” Beijing’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that she “was asked to leave China before May 13.”
The day before Canada announced the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat, plunging the two countries into a new acute diplomatic crisis for which Beijing accuses Ottawa of being responsible. “We will not tolerate any form of foreign interference in our internal affairs,” declared Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly when announcing the expulsion of the diplomat, declared “persona non grata” in the country.
Already strained relations
A decision immediately castigated by China, Canada’s second largest trading partner, which accuses Ottawa of having “sabotaged” the already very tense bilateral relations. “China will take firm countermeasures and all consequences thereof will be borne by Canada,” the Chinese Embassy in Canada said in a statement on Monday.
The government of Justin Trudeau “seriously violates not only international law but also the fundamental norms of international relations”. “This decision was taken by carefully considering all the factors at stake,” said the Canadian minister, highlighting in a short press release the importance of “defending Canadian democracy”.
Old grudges
Relations between Beijing and Ottawa have deteriorated sharply in recent years, particularly after the arrest in 2018 by Canada of an official of the group of Huawei, a Chinese telecom giant, and the imprisonment, in retaliation by China, of two Canadian nationals. While all three have since been released, tensions have persisted, with Beijing blaming Ottawa for its alignment with Washington’s China policy and Canadian authorities regularly accusing China of interference.
China is particularly suspected of having tried to interfere in the Canadian elections of 2019 and 2021. In a series of articles published by Canadian media, it is in particular question of secret financing or involvement in the campaign of certain candidates. Allegations “firmly” denied by the Chinese authorities.