Visiting Canadian PM Justin Trudeau pointed out how a United Nations rapporteur put out a “scathing report” a few years ago on Canada’s treatment of Indigenous Peoples, of missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls and other challenges.
HONG KONG — Visiting Canadian PM Justin Trudeau was blunt in raising concerns directly with China’s political elite about their human-rights record, but he was also quick to acknowledged that Canada isn’t perfect.
The prime minister shared more details Tuesday about his high-level talks last week with Beijing, sessions that included face time with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, reported CTV News.
Trudeau told a business luncheon in Hong Kong that he brought up his concerns in those meetings, ranging from consular cases, rule of law, governance and corruption.
“(I) talked about the challenges, but also talked about the fact that Canada is not immune to criticisms on human rights, either,” he said during an on-stage interview during the event, hosted by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
“The perspective that a lot of countries have is, ‘Well, you know, foreign countries or foreign observers shouldn’t be criticizing what are internal matters to us.”‘
He pointed out how a United Nations rapporteur put out a “scathing report” a few years ago on Canada’s treatment of Indigenous Peoples, of missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls and other challenges.
Trudeau’s Hong Kong event came on the last day of his eight-day official visit to China, a trip that also included stops in Beijiing, Shanghai and Hangzhou for the Group of 20 leaders’ summit.
His primary goal of the visit was to strengthen commercial ties with the Chinese regime. He repeated his argument Tuesday that Ottawa’s connection to China was “hot and cold” when the Conservatives were in power.
