Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave his most detailed explanation yet about the type of "intervention" he raised with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a meeting earlier this month.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre posed a question during question period today about the specific intervention that the Prime Minister's Office was referring to when it provided limited details about the leaders' conversation at the G20 summit in Indonesia.

Trudeau responded that his government has been aware for years of "established connections" by representatives of the Chinese government in Canadian communities and with local media.

The comments come a week after Xi confronted Trudeau, in a second brief conversation recorded on video, about the fact that his office provided details to the media about their initial discussion.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also stated earlier this month that they are investigating reports of criminal activity related to "police" centers in Canada after a human rights group reported that China operates in more than 50 such locations, including three in the Greater Toronto Area.

Trudeau was also pressed about whether he was aware of alleged Chinese interference in the 2019 federal election, a matter currently being investigated by a parliamentary committee, but he replied that the integrity of Canadian elections was never in doubt in any briefing he received.