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After Canada Complaint, China Says has Nothing More to Add | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Media ID: 55351975
Caption:

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, and Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Stephane Dion pose for photographers in Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Wednesday, June 1, 2016.


Canada issued a complaint against Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who lost his temper and publicly berated a Canadian journalist on Wednesday for asking a question about his country’s human rights record. Wang told the female reporter that her question was unacceptable.

The latter also added that it was “irresponsible” of a journalist to ask about human rights and the jailing of a Canadian, Kevin Garratt, who is charged with espionage.

Nevertheless, China has already made its position clear after Canada issued the complaint about the minister’s behavior.

The incident took place following a meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion, who raised the case of Kevin Garratt, a Canadian citizen charged with spying in China.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday that Canada had complained to China about Wang’s behavior.

China wanted to draw a line under the incident in a short statement sent to Reuters late on Saturday in response to a question about Trudeau’s complaint.

“The Chinese side has already fully expressed our position on the relevant Canadian reporter asking a question,” the ministry said, without elaborating.

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said last week, after the incident with Wang; “We welcome ever more media friends from all over the world to come and live and work in China, to use their eyes and souls to understand the development, changes and advances of the China of today.”