Address by Minister Dion following his meeting with China's Minister of Foreign Affairs

Speech

June 1, 2016 - Ottawa, Ontario

Check against delivery. This speech has been translated in accordance with the official languages policy and edited for posting and distribution in accordance with the Government of Canada’s communications policy.

I am delighted to welcome to Ottawa China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi for the inaugural meeting of the Canada-China Foreign Affairs’ Ministers Dialogue. This first meeting was well overdue and we are very pleased that it has taken place. We think this dialogue is an important first step in enhancing high-level engagement between Canada and China in order to advance common priorities, exchange views on matters of global importance and have frank and constructive discussions on difficult issues.

Today’s meeting was significant, a fresh start to relations that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Xi Jinping discussed at their first meeting at last year’s G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey, and that Minister Wang-Yi and I discussed at the last APEC summit in Manila, the Philippines, in November 2015. I am certain that both leaders will be keen to continue this conversation when China hosts this year’s G20 Leaders’ Summit in Hangzhou in September.

Minister Wang and I had a comprehensive and well-rounded discussion of the full range of our relationship. We discussed the importance of our growing economic ties and the future prospects for trade to expand commercial opportunities and trade for businesses. We also discussed a key element of our relationship, and that is our people-to-people ties. Some 1.5 million Canadians are of Chinese descent, and China’s dialects are the third-most-spoken language in Canada after English and French.

We also discussed the ways in which we can develop even stronger ties between our two countries, including facilitating access by businesses, students and tourists on both sides. I am happy to report that there are already more than 120,000 Chinese students in Canada.

Both of us are certain that we can do better. We have set some goals for ourselves in this regard, and important upcoming events like the 150th anniversary of the Canadian federation and the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games will showcase the close cultural ties between China and Canada.

Not only did we deal with our bilateral relationship, but also with what we may do together in the world in a multilateral way within the rules-based international order on issues such as climate change, global health, international development and peacekeeping, as well as within forums such as the G20 and the United Nations. We see great potential to deepen our cooperation.

We also discussed climate finance initiatives. We discussed the follow-up of the G20 to the COP21 climate change conference held in Paris last year. We discussed the necessity to fight corruption and to fight tax evasion. All of these issues will be at the core of the next G20 meeting and Canada will do everything it can to make sure that the next G20, which will be hosted by China, will be a great success.

We also had honest and frank conversations on human rights and consular affairs. These discussions are central to a healthy and constructive relationship. We accept that we will not always see eye to eye with each other, but we need to make progress. In our international engagement Canada will continue to champion the values of pluralism, democracy, inclusive and accountable governance and respect for diversity and universal human rights.

I mentioned peacekeeping. I said to Minister Wang, and I want to repeat it publicly, that on behalf of Prime Minister Trudeau, the Government of Canada and the people of Canada I want to offer my condolences for the Chinese peacekeeper who was killed today in Mali and to wish a speedy recovery to the four peacekeepers who were injured in this attack. Canada and China have a shared interest in promoting peace and stability around the world.

Minister Wang and I had a productive exchange of views on North Korea and other subjects. We also had mature and respectful discussions on our respective positions on regional issues including the South China Sea, cross-Strait relations and Hong Kong. 

I thank Minister Wang for a very constructive meeting. I hope his short time in Canada is worthwhile and look forward to continuing our annual consultations in a comprehensive working relationship moving forward for the sake of China, Canada and the world.

Thank you.

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Hon. Stéphane Dion Global Affairs Canada Government and Politics