Insults flew from China on Sunday, attacking Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, as relations between China and Canada continue to spiral downward.
In the past months, China and Canada have clashed over China’s treatment of its Uighur minority.
In ratcheting up the tension on Sunday, Trudeau was specifically mocked by China’s consul general to Rio de Janeiro, Li Yang. In a tweet, Yang, referring to Trudeau as a boy, said, “Boy, your greatest achievement is to have ruined the friendly relations between China and Canada, and have turned Canada into a running dog of the U.S.”
The Chinese government apparently allows Li to tweet out grievances in undiplomatic language.
In the past, Li has repeatedly attacked the United States over gun violence and the legacy of slavery.
Li’s rant occurred just as Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and European Union raised the level of their criticism of China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang region.
Additionally, numerous western nations imposed sanctions on Chinese officials, citing their roles in human rights abuses.
Additionally, Canada’s relations with China have been derailed by the arrests two years ago of Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.
This followed the detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Vancouver on a US arrest warrant in 2018.
The tit-for-tat arrests of the Canadians has been referred to as Chinese “hostage diplomacy” by Canadian officials.
