CPAC

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to reporters Friday following the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.

Trudeau was questioned if he fears for his safety after his encounter with a group of protesters inside a Vancouver restaurant on Tuesday. The group surrounded Trudeau at his table and demanded him to call for a ceasefire in the conflict between Hamas and Israel. One-hundred police officers were deployed to escort the Prime Minister out and deescalate the situation. Trudeau says that act of violence was not about him.

“Right now, the grief, the anger, and the despair so many Canadians are feeling is bleeding over into each other. We are not a country where Canadians should be scared of other Canadians,” he stated.  He added that if even Canadians can’t find a way to get along and be compassionate, a solution for the tension in the Middle East will not come either.

He was also questioned about Canada’s current relationship with China. When asked by reporters why he and China’s President Xi Jinping did not exchange more than a hello at the summit, Trudeau replied that the pair did in fact have a conversation about working together to create constructive dialogue. He added that conversations about issues that matter are important to have… even with countries he doesn’t agree with on all fronts.

“Canada, of course, is in a challenging time in our relationship with China,” he said. “We know that the experience we went through with the arbitrary detention of the two Michael’s set a real challenge into our relationship.”

He says the countries will continue to work together in areas of common interest, such as the COP15 Summit last year where they discussed the protection of nature and fighting climate change. However, Trudeau says Canada will stay anchored in its values and continue to challenge China on areas they disagree with such as democracy, human rights, and respect for the rule of law.