Canada PM asserts need for western nations to unite against China's 'coercive diplomacy'

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called upon western nations to “stand strong” against China. He highlighted that Chinese leadership often tries to make western countries against each other. In an interview with Canada's Global Television Network, Trudeau asserts that in response to China’s increasingly “coercive diplomacy”, the like-minded countries need to have a "united front", according to ANI. 

Justin Trudeau highlighted that the western nations have been competing against each other and China has been playing them against each other "cleverly". He mentioned that they need to work together in order to prevent Beijing from dividing the western nations against each other. Furthermore, the Canadian PM noted that the problems arise as western nations try to have access to Chinese markets which results in Beijing dictating the terms and making them work against each other. 

"We've been competing and China has been from time to time very cleverly playing us off each other in an open market competitive way. We need to do a better job of working together and standing strong so that China can't, you know, play the angles and divide us one against the other,” Justin Trudeau said in an interview with Global News as per ANI. 

Canada announces diplomatic ban of Winter Olympics

The relations between Canada and China have been affected after Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, a Chinese national, was arrested in Vancouver in 2018. Earlier this month, Canada made an official announcement that the country will not have diplomatic representation in the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in China. The decision has been taken over reports of China’s alleged human rights abuses in China. Informing about the decision, PM Justin Trudeau tweeted, "Canada remains deeply disturbed by reports of human rights violations in China. As a result, we won’t be sending diplomatic representatives to Beijing for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. We’ll continue to support our athletes who work hard to compete on the world stage." The decision of Canada followed the US, Australia and the UK who also announced a similar decision to boycott Winter Olympics that are going to take place in Beijing in 2022. 

(Inputs from ANI)

(Image: AP)