#GlobalNews Prime Minister Mark Carney says Beijing doesn’t understand how seriously Canadians take issues of foreign interference, after raising them with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“We had a discussion on foreign interference,” Carney told reporters Saturday before leaving the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Gyeongju, South Korea.
“I don’t think they recognize the level of concerns we have about these issues, but we manage these issues in Canada; we have a structure to manage them.”
Carney added the meeting was “to establish that relationship at the highest level for the first time in eight years” to unlock eventual gains, which he suggested is how change is done “in that system.” He added that the meetings are a "turning point."
00:00Following your meeting with President Xi, neither Canada's readout or China's made mention of you bringing up things such as regional tension camps or the transnational repression in Canada or Beijing's foreign interference in the Canadian elections. Did you bring these issues up?
00:16We had a discussion on foreign interference. We had a discussion on a range of other issues. And, you know, recognizing that setting it back on track, particularly on the economic side, was an important part of the discussion.
00:30So the other element of the discussion, which is something you do in a relationship as opposed to a transaction, not suggesting your question was transactional in any respect, but I'd like to distinguish how some other discussions go, is to be clear about the expectations that we will be pragmatic, that we will be open and frank with each other on issues, and there are issues of challenge, and where we can find common ground, we'll find common ground.
01:00And where we have differences, and where we have differences, and there are big differences in our societies and our governments, we will respect those.
01:06We had a discussion that was... Our overall discussion was constructive and was, number one, constructive, number two, marked a turning point in the relationship. I don't think they recognize the level of concerns we have about these issues, but we manage these issues in Canada. We have a structure to manage them. And look, I'm going to repeat what I said because it's very important.
01:34It doesn't do any good to talk to ourselves about these issues alone. It's important that we are engaged with the world's largest country by population, second largest economy by value, and increasingly influential determinant, not just influential, determinant of the global system.
01:58So we need to be back in there, and now we are back in having those discussions. And the point of having the relationship is, if you have a relationship, you see people multiple times. It's not a one and done, and that's where we are.
02:12You told Canadians that China was the biggest security threat to this country and to Canadians. Do you still believe that to be the case?
02:18I think we have to manage all our threats. There are a number of threats from a country mentioned, Russia. We have non-state actor threats, which are material. I guess, you know, one of the advantages of having your security clearance is you're better informed about some of the threats.
02:36And I highly recommend that anyone, either in the position of responsibility or seeking it, has their security clearance. So I have a richer sense of the tapestries of threats that face our country.
02:48And I'll tell you one thing, if I may, I'll head back after this, which is what that does, it just hardens the resolve of the government to protect Canadians and to take a variety of measures that we are taking to protect Canadians.
03:03So it reinforced the need for the big increase, commitments that we made. We didn't make commitments at NATO because all the other kids were making commitments at NATO.
03:14We made commitments to increase our defence spending because we have to protect our Arctic. We have to assert our sovereignty in the Arctic and protect Canadians there because of non-state actor threats as well.
03:26Also, threats in the virtual and cyber world, which are only growing. We have the ability to help protect us. We have questions about foreign interference and foreign interference and non-state actor interference in the virtual world in Canada, if I can put it that way.
03:43We take those threats seriously and we're managing those. So what we got is what was not going to happen prior to this meeting was there was going to be any movement on the trade restrictions in those areas or in other areas or in even things such as, I mentioned in my remarks, people to people exchange or tourism.
04:05You know, Canada is, you know, Canada is not a destination for China. We're in a bucket of three or four countries alongside North Korea and South Sudan. I'm missing the fourth, unfortunately, but trust me, there's four.
04:19And so not having those areas. What this does, what the meeting accomplished, which was the objective of the meeting, was to establish that relationship at the highest level for the first time in eight years and to unlock a few things.
04:39One is shorter term, very important shorter term issues. You mentioned canola. Same with the fishing industry. Those are important issues for us.
04:47And the instruction of officials and ministers to work on both sides to find resolution for those is something that comes out of that meeting at that level in that system.
04:58Okay? Don't have the meaning, don't have the understanding of where the relationship is going to go. There would not be progress on those issues.
05:06Okay? People sometimes simplify it down and give this for that. That's not the way it works.
05:10So to give Canadians a sense, and your question is absolutely the right one, so what does it mean?
05:18It means that we have a few things. One, for those hardworking farmers, fishers, a pathway to address the tariffs that China has on them.
05:32And we're going to be working hard to get those results and move forward, the first thing.
05:38The second thing, it opens up a much bigger set of opportunities for a broader range of Canadian businesses.
05:45Not in all areas, but in areas that are to our advantage. And that's part of what we will scope out over the course of the next few months in advance of my visit.
05:59But again, to come back to a relationship as opposed to a transaction, what you do with a relationship is you make progress on certain things and then you move on to the next issues.
06:08And you build on that and that's what is now unlocked, which was not the case 24 hours ago.
06:15Go.
06:16So, what are you saying?
06:17Well, I guess you can just ignore.
06:18I guess most people use to the new trade rut too.
06:19Let's see what's interesting.
06:21So this is where we get up at Malaysia.
06:22Which is a real Oscar?
06:23Is there any more writing then?
06:24It would continue to write that Yane Brune?
06:25I guess that there are about Beck room
06:30Well, here we go.
06:34Guant.
06:35To the market come back and forth.
06:41Ab pull through to more interesting here where we can explore flaring the unit.
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