{"id":220886,"date":"2019-06-30T01:41:16","date_gmt":"2019-06-30T05:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=220886"},"modified":"2019-06-30T01:41:16","modified_gmt":"2019-06-30T05:41:16","slug":"trudeau-raises-detention-of-two-canadians-with-chinese-president-at-g20-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/06\/30\/trudeau-raises-detention-of-two-canadians-with-chinese-president-at-g20-summit\/","title":{"rendered":"Trudeau raises detention of two Canadians with Chinese president at G20 summit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One of the Canadian government’s strategies at the G20 was to rally for heightened support from other countries on the issue of the detentions Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. (File Photos: Michael Spavor<\/a> – Paektu Cultural Exchange\/Facebook<\/a>; Michael Kovrig<\/a> – @MichaelKovrig\/Twitter<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

OSAKA, Japan \u2014 The issue of two Canadians detained in China was raised in discussions with the Chinese president at the G20 summit in Osaka, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday.<\/p>\n

Canada and China are going through a \u201cchallenging moment\u201d right now, Trudeau said in his summit closing press conference, adding that direct conversations are key to moving forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it was important that I have an opportunity to have face-to-face discussions with President Xi on this issue,\u201d Trudeau told reporters.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe take the situation of the two Canadians detained in China extremely seriously and it was important we have those exchanges.\u201d<\/p>\n

The prime minister did not have a formal bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi at the summit of leaders from major economies but the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) says there were \u201cconstructive interactions\u201d between the two leaders.<\/p>\n

One of the Canadian government’s strategies at the G20 was to rally for heightened support from other countries on the issue of the detentions Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.<\/p>\n

On Friday, the PMO said it received \u201cbroad support\u201d from European partners on the matter when Trudeau sat down with them.<\/p>\n

Trudeau also said Saturday that he was \u201cconfident\u201d the issue was raised during a bilateral meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Xi \u2014 a highly-anticipated discussion on trade.<\/p>\n

Last week while meeting with Trudeau in the Oval Office ahead of the G20, the president made a public pledge to do \u201canything\u201d to help Canada on the detentions.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of our allies around the world have been highlighting the situation of the two Canadians detained in China and we are confident that the president also brought that up but you’ll have to ask him for details,\u201d Trudeau said.<\/p>\n

But in his own post G20 press conference, Trump didn’t mention the detentions of Kovrig and Spavor.<\/p>\n

He said he and the Chinese president did not talk about Meng Wanzhou\u2014 Huawei’s chief financial officer who was arrested in Vancouver on a U.S. extradition warrant on Dec. 1.<\/p>\n

Meng’s arrest created diplomatic waves between Canada and China and Spavor and Kovrig were taken into custody that month in arrests deemed \u201carbitrary\u201d by the Canadian government.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn’t discuss Ms. Meng. That was not discussed,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWe did discuss Huawei, but we didn’t discuss her situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Huawei would have to be the last issue discussed in trade talks with China, Trump added.<\/p>\n

A central point of friction between the U.S. and China right now is the decision by the Americans to deem Huawei as \u201cincompatible\u201d with its security interests and that of its allies.<\/p>\n

In remarks made at the beginning of his meeting with the Chinese president, Trump said America and China are getting \u201ca little bit closer\u201d to reaching a trade agreement.<\/p>\n

The president also said he and the Chinese president have spent a lot of time together, noting they have \u201cbecome friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump said he looks forward to working with China and that the U.S. wants to do something that will \u201ceven it up\u201d with respect to trade, noting it is \u201cactually very easy to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually think that we were very close and then … something happened where it slipped a little bit,\u201d Trump said. \u201cNow we’re getting a little bit closer, but it would be historic if we could do a fair trade deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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