By Canadian Press

Canadian, Chinese defence ministers meet in Singapore as tensions rise over Taiwan

Jun 2, 2024 | 11:02 AM

OTTAWA — The Canadian and Chinese defence ministers met in Singapore this week, marking the first in-person meeting between those officials in years.

Bill Blair sat down with Admiral Dong Jun on Friday while attending the Shangri-La Dialogue, an international security conference.

In a statement issued after the meeting, Blair said he expressed concern about Beijing’s foreign interference in Canada and about its recent military exercises in Taiwan.

China staged a simulated blockade of the island after the election of a new government that does not accept Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of China.

Blair’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart comes several months after Canadian military officials told members of Parliament they were working to open new lines of communication.

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Diplomatic relations between the countries have been strained since 2018, when Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada and China responded by detaining Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2024.

— With files from The Associated Press

The Canadian Press

<!– Photo: d789fcdd-6536-4e5e-9bb3-1dcf10f9bc29.jpg, Caption:

The Canadian and Chinese defence ministers met in Singapore this week, the first in-person meeting between those officials in years. National Defence Minister Bill Blair delivers a keynote address at the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries annual defence industry trade show CANSEC in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

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