CNN –
On Wednesday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping was captured by Canadian broadcasters in a rare candid moment, where he was filmed chiding his Canadian counterpart, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, over what he described as “leaked” discussions.
On the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia, Xi chatted with Trudeau in Mandarin with a smile. But the English translation of what he said was a little less friendly.
“Everything we have discussed has been leaked to the newspapers and that is not appropriate,” Xi’s translator said.
Trudeau nods and Xi speaks again. “And that’s not how the conversation was conducted,” said the translator.
“If there is sincerity on your part, we will conduct our discussion with an attitude of mutual respect, otherwise there could be unforeseen consequences,” Xi told the Canadian leader in Mandarin.
Xi’s translator tries to translate what was said, only getting as far as “If there was sincerity on your part,” before being cut off by Trudeau.
“In Canada we believe in free, open and frank dialogue,” Trudeau said, adding “we will continue to work constructively together, but there will be things on which we will disagree.”
“First we create the conditions,” the translator said on behalf of Xi in the video. The Chinese leader then shakes Trudeau’s hand and leaves with his entourage.
The exchange offers a rare glimpse into how Xi, whose public appearances are highly choreographed, interacts with other leaders.
Their exchange comes as Xi seeks to reassert China’s global influence at the summit on the island of Bali after a nearly three-year absence from the world stage.
China’s relations with US allies have deteriorated to varying degrees in recent years, due to rising geopolitical tensions, trade disputes and the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as Beijing’s growing partnership with Moscow, despite Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Xi has sought to restore relations at the summit, meeting with US President Joe Biden on Monday. He also held formal talks with the leaders of Australia, France, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Senegal, Argentina, Indonesia and South Korea.
Canada did not allow such a meeting, and the resentment could be related to the relationship between the countries, since Huawei’s top executive, Meng Wanzhou, was detained in Canada in 2018. Two Canadians to be arrested nine days later in China. All three were released in 2021.