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Li visit underway amid protests, cannon fire

He said that during his stay, the annual mechanism of dialogue between the prime ministers of the two countries will start officially, the exchange of ideas on issues of common interest will be promoted and cooperation in all fields will be boosted to foster the development of bilateral ties in the new period.

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Trudeau is already under fire from opposition leaders for considering a treaty that could send Chinese suspects into a legal system where human rights activists say torture and forced confessions are commonplace.

“If we abolish the death penalty, more innocent people will probably lose their lives”.

Li is due in Cuba for an official visit after his trip to Canada.

In the briefing note, Jean further describes Canada’s response to China’s 2014 campaign, dubbed “Operation Fox Hunt”, an outgrowth of President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign in which he “vowed to swat down both “tigers” and ‘flies, ‘ regardless of their level, in efforts to clean up the Communist Party in China”.

The Prime Minister then listed examples of when Canada has failed to live up to these standards, including the internment of Italian, Ukrainian, and Japanese Canadians during the World Wars, the turning away of boats full of Punjabi and Jewish refugees, and the “shamefully continuing” treatment of First Nations and Indigenous people.

Talk of a possible extradition treaty comes days after Kevin Garratt, a Canadian held in China for two years and charged with spying, was deported to Canada.

“In the society there are often crimes, and violent crimes”, Li added, standing next to Trudeau. “Many developed countries also maintain the death penalty”, said Li.

Among the short-term objectives of that group is a potential extradition treaty between the two countries. People want their problems solved, not exploited, he said, calling on the global community to work in concert to those ends.

Li also praised the new security dialogue, saying it would help the two countries address “differences”.

Earlier, Canadian Forces cannons heralded Li’s arrival on Parliament Hill with a thunderous 19-gun salute, while Falun Gong protesters massed on the parliamentary lawn.

Trudeau called the “historic nature” of their back-to-back visits to each other’s countries a chance to deepen and strengthen the collaboration and co-operation between the two countries on a broad range of issues.

“I’m pleased to welcome you here to Canada and look forward to our working together”.

Li, accompanied by his wife Cheng Hong and senior Chinese officials, arrived in Ottawa as the guest of his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau, who just paid an official visit to China and attended the G20 Hangzhou summit from August 30 to September 6.

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China has embraced Trudeau in part because of his father, former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who in 1970 became one of the first Western leaders to establish diplomatic relations with Communist China.

Li Keqiang