China’s ambassador to Canada has left his post after nearly five years, a period marked by heightened tensions between the two countries.
Cong Peiwu has returned to China, according to a representative for Global Affairs Canada who wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The news was first reported by the Globe and Mail. China’s embassy in Ottawa declined to comment.
Cong’s exit comes as one of Canada’s most senior diplomats, Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison, is visiting China. Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has not traveled to the country since her appointment in late 2021, but has signaled her pursuit of “pragmatic diplomacy,” engaging with non-like-minded countries.
Last year, Canada expelled a Chinese diplomat accused of targeting a Canadian Conservative lawmaker and his family in Hong Kong, prompting China to turf a Canadian envoy in response. Cong told Bloomberg News in an interview at the time that China would like to see the relationship “back on track.”
“But it’s up to the Canadian side to make sure that they will correct mistakes and not to be engaged in any further provocation or confrontation,” Cong said.
He also recently told Bloomberg that his country will continue to do business in Canada’s domestic critical minerals sector despite Trudeau’s crackdown on foreign investment.