Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a meeting with his Canadian counterpart Mélanie Joly during the Munich Security Conference in Germany that Canada is not an adversary to his country, and that China wishes to restore trust between the two sides.

Relations between the two countries have experienced clear tension over the past few years, and the relations had worsened recently after Canada accused China of foreign interference in Canadian affairs, and after the arrest of a senior Chinese executive in Vancouver, according to a U.S. arrest warrant in December 2018.

Beijing responded by detaining a number of Canadians on espionage charges; this escalated the crisis between the two countries.

Canada had also started investigations last year into foreign interference, especially by China.

Wang told his Canadian counterpart Joly that the current situation is not what China desires in relations between the two countries, according to a statement published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry last Sunday.

Wang added that the two countries are not adversaries and that we must cooperate to become collaborative partners.

He urged Canada to stop clinging to the theory of threat and conspiracy and to cease spreading false news about China’s interference in Canadian affairs.