Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that he is not afraid of China and will try his best to protect his citizens from foreign interference.
According to the Reuters news agency, regarding the diplomatic dispute between China and Canada, Prime Minister Trudeau said that China’s response is coming, but he will not be afraid of it.
On Monday, Canada ordered Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei to leave the country on charges of foreign interference.
After the recent conflict, there are fears that economic problems may arise for Canada.
Canada’s exports to China grew by a record 16 percent last year, and China is Canada’s second-largest trading partner after the United States.
In 2022, Beijing lifted a three-year ban imposed in 2018 on imports of Canada’s biggest crop, canola, from trading companies Richardson International and Vetra.
Canada’s largest exports of wheat and potash are to China.
“There will always be a risk of China reacting, but it seems that the Chinese government is more cautious about food security than it has been in the past few years,” says Tyler McCain, director of Canada’s Agri-Food Policy Institute. This aspect has led to a reduction in risk.’
The war in Ukraine has already affected global supplies of wheat and oil, making it difficult for China to limit imports of wheat and canola from Canada.
Guy St-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to China, believes China has reacted too cautiously and could have asked more senior officials to leave the country.
He said that economic restrictions from China cannot be expected on this occasion because, since Corona, Beijing has also relaxed the strict rules to entice foreign companies to work.