Beijing calls Canadian claims China poses threat ‘unfounded’

Claims that China poses a threat to Canada are groundless, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Wang Wenbin, said on Wednesday.

Beijing thus reiterated calls on Ottawa to abandon its cold war mentality.

Earlier, Canada’s spy chief, David Vigneault, gave a rare public address where he painted China and Russia as the countries gravest sources of concern.

Vigneault said Canadian biopharmaceutical, health, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and aerospace sectors were at risk of being targeted by Beijing and Moscow.

“The corresponding statements are unfounded; the Chinese side is resolutely opposed.

“China has always adhered to the path of peaceful development, a mutually beneficial strategy of openness.

“We are committed to the concept of building a community with a common destiny for mankind,’’ Wang said at a regular briefing in Beijing.

The diplomat went on to evoke Canada’s arrest of Huawei executive, Meng Wanzhou, at the behest of the U.S. in 2018.

“China always adheres to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states and even more so, it will not unreasonably detain citizens of third countries at the request of another state,’’ he said.

Wang added that Canadian leadership ought to drop its cold war mentality and hostility to China.

“We urge some Canadian politicians to abandon the cold-war mentality and ideological prejudices, and stop unwarranted attacks on China,’’ Wang said.

Canada has been engaged in a broad range of diplomatic and trade disputes in large part stemming from Meng’s arrest.