“Why are you leaking everything to the press?”

At the G20 summit in Bali, there was a brief confrontation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “Everything we discussed was leaked to the press, which is inappropriate,” Xi said, visibly frustrated.

The two spoke behind closed doors earlier this week. Subsequently, it was leaked that Trudeau would speak of alleged Chinese espionage and interference in Canadian elections. Xi now lets it be known through her translator that she doesn’t think Trudeau is sincere. The conversation was captured by a camera placed behind the Chinese interpreter.

“In Canada we believe in free, open and honest dialogue and that is what we will continue to have”, interrupts Trudeau the interpreter. “We will continue to seek constructive cooperation, but there will be things we disagree on.” Then Xi interrupts the Canadian prime minister. “Let’s create the conditions first,” he says. Then the two shake hands and walk away.

Of BBC he called the meeting an “uncomfortable moment”, writing that it was a rare candid moment from President Xi, “whose image is normally carefully directed by Chinese state media”. The Guardian writes that Xi’s response is a “rare break” from his “normally carefully scripted public appearances”.

Trudeau spoke to Xi for the first time at the G-20 on Tuesday. A senior Canadian government official said the two discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, North Korea and climate change, and that Trudeau also expressed “serious concerns about Chinese interference in Canada”. speak publicly about the matter.

Asked about the confrontation later at a news conference, Trudeau said “not every conversation is going to be easy, but it’s extremely important that we continue to defend Canada’s interests.”

Relations between China and Canada have been under pressure for years. Tensions were high in 2018 when a top Chinese Huawei woman was arrested in Canada. Subsequently, two Canadians were arrested in China on spying charges. Eventually all three were released. There has recently been a new incident between the two countries; An employee of a Chinese utility company has been arrested in Canada on suspicion of espionage.