The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China announced Tuesday (May 9, 2023) that Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, Canada’s top diplomat in Shanghai, has been asked to leave the country by May 13. This decision is a response to the expulsion of the Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei by the Canada Monday (8.May). The information comes from Reuters.

Canada expelled the Chinese diplomat after allegations that Wei tried to intimidate a Canadian lawmaker who criticized China’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority.

Hours later, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it would expel a Canadian diplomat from Shanghai in retaliation for what it called “irrational actionsfrom Ottawa. In response, China said Jennifer Lynn Lalonde “persona non grata.

“As a reciprocal countermeasure in response to Canada’s unscrupulous decision, China decides to declare Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, Consul General of Canada in Shanghai persona non grata”said the Chinese Foreign Ministry in communicated.

In an interview with journalists, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that Canada will not be intimidated by the expulsion of the Canadian consul. “We understand there will be retaliation but we will not be intimidated, we will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect Canadians from foreign interference”.

According to a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, wang wenbinChina does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat violates the rules governing international relations.

Tensions between Beijing and Ottawa have been high since the arrest of Huawei Technologies chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in 2018 on charges of fraud in the United States. The same year, 2 Canadians were arrested in Beijing for espionage. All they were released in 2021.