Chinese ambassador leaves posting in Canada as Ottawa pushes to improve ties

Cong Peiwu served as China's ambassador to Canada since 2019. The news was first reported by the Globe and Mail on Thursday.

During Peiwu's tenure, Canada's relationship with China became strained amid a series of tense developments, including when Beijing detained Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig (new window) from late 2018 until fall 2021.

Their arrests were widely seen as retaliation for the Vancouver arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, on a U.S. extradition warrant.

In October 2023, Global Affairs Canada said the Chinese government was behind a propaganda campaign (new window) targeting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre.

To top it off, Canada's spy agency says it believes the Chinese government interfered (new window) in both the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

The Chinese embassy in Ottawa has yet to confirm the departure of its ambassador.

• CSIS warned Prime Minister's Office in 2023 that China 'clandestinely and deceptively' interfered in elections (new window)
• Former Conservative leader alleges Chinese interference may have played a part in his ouster (new window)

Ottawa sends representative to improve ties

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly's office has confirmed her deputy minister David Morrison is in China now.

But Global Affairs Canada has not released an itinerary for his visit.

The Globe and Mail first reported earlier this week (new window) that the purpose of Morrison's trip is to improve ties between the two countries.

Canada's lack of dialogue with China has made it an outlier compared to Western allies and other G7 countries that have regular, high-level exchanges with Beijing.

But despite the tense relationship, both countries have made recent statements (new window) pledging to communicate and collaborate with each other.

In January, Joly spoke with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi about the Israel-Hamas conflict, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and co-operating in the fight against climate change.

That discussion came months after Trudeau said a rapprochement with China would be impossible due to concerns over foreign interference.

After Joly's conversation with Yi, Canada and China released statements recognizing ongoing diplomatic strains, but they pledged to maintain open communication channels.

Global Affairs Canada has said Conservative MP Michael Chong was a target of a co-ordinated smear campaign (new window) that likely was backed by China. He said Friday he hopes the government is approaching the relationship [with China] with a great deal of caution.

I think it's time for a clear-headed approach that focuses on protecting our interests, protecting our citizens and ensuring we uphold our values, Chong said.

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With files from The Canadian Press