Bali, Indonesia -- In a rare behind the scenes moment of diplomacy, Chinese President Xi Jinping criticized Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for sharing details of a conversation the two leaders had Tuesday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia with the media.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping after taking part in the closing session at the G20 Leaders Summit in Bali, Indonesia on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping after taking part in the closing session at the G20 Leaders Summit in Bali, Indonesia on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. 

“Everything we discuss has been leaked to the paper, that’s not appropriate,” Xi told Trudeau Wednesday through a translator, at the closing session of the G20.

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Trudeau interrupted Xi’s translator, saying: “We believe in free and open and frank dialogue and that is what we will continue to have. We will continue to look to work constructively together but there will be things we will disagree on.”

After Trudeau replied, the two shook hands and went separate ways.

On Tuesday, a senior government source told Global News that Trudeau raised, the war in Ukraine, North Korea and alleged Chinese interference in Canadian elections with Xi when they spoke for roughly ten minutes.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly also confirmed that she discussed the same topics with her Chinese counterpart yesterday with reporters.

Trudeau literally can’t even walk after Xi Jinping publicly FLOGS him over leaking their private meeting to the press

https://twitter.com/i/status/1592909784898211840


Chinese President Xi Confronts  Trudeau at G20 Summit Over Leaks to Media

Justin Trudeau

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives for the G20 leaders' summit in Nusa Dua, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, on Tuesday. 

















Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday criticized Canadian Prime Justin Trudeau in person over alleged leaks of their closed-door meeting at the G20 summit, capturing a rare public display of annoyance by the Chinese leader.

In video footage published by Canadian broadcasters, Xi and Trudeau can be seen standing close to each other and conversing via a translator.

“That is not appropriate, and we didn’t do it that way,” Xi said in Mandarin, smiling.

“If there is sincerity, we can communicate well with mutual respect, otherwise the outcome will not be easy to tell.”

His displeasure was likely a reference to media reports that Trudeau brought up “serious concerns” about Chinese espionage and “interference” in Canadian elections when meeting with Xi on Tuesday, his first talks with the Chinese leader in more than three years.

Canada never released an official readout from the meeting.

A translator for Xi can be heard in the video telling Trudeau that “everything we discussed was leaked to the paper(s), that’s not appropriate.”

The video captured a rare candid moment for Xi, whose image is carefully curated by Chinese state media.

Cynically Trudeau responds to Xi’s initial criticism by saying “in Canada we believe in free and open and frank dialogue and that is what we will continue to have, we will continue to look to work constructively together but there will be things we disagree on”.

Before he finished speaking, however, Xi, looking angry, cuts him off and emphatically says “create the conditions, create the conditions, OK?” before smiling, shaking Trudeau‘s hand and abruptly walks off.

Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and China’s President Xi Jinping are photographed during the now-viral exchange at the G20 Leaders’ Summit on Wednesday. 

 

Oddly neither the Chinese foreign ministry nor state media have published anything on talks between Xi and Trudeau. The two held an informal meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Tuesday, according to a government source. Xi has held nine formal bilateral meetings with other heads of state while at the summit, claims the Chinese foreign ministry website.