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The latest friction came when Beijing on Tuesday declared Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, an official at the Canadian Consulate General in Shanghai, “persona non grata” following Canada’s expulsion of Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei a day earlier.

Some China watchers say Beijing rarely expels foreign diplomats, but it does so because Canada appears to have emerged as the main U.S.-led anti-China force.

Observers even say that Ottawa’s current policy toward Beijing has become more confrontational compared to Washington’s, which has plunged Canada-China relations into a deep freeze.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the decision to declare Canadian diplomats in Shanghai “persona non grata” was a response to Canada’s expulsion of the Chinese diplomat after accusing him of interference in the internal affairs of Canada.

“China strongly condemns and resolutely opposes it,” Wang said, quoted by world timesTuesday (9/5).

“China has never interfered in the internal affairs of other countries. What China calls interference in the internal affairs of Canada is nonsense, slander against China and political manipulation based on ideology,” he said.

“The latest move by the Canadian side violates basic norms governing international relations and deliberately harms China-Canada relations, which are of a very bad nature,” Wang said.

This, he said, was important for China to protect its legitimate rights and interests.

“This year marks the 100th anniversary of Canada’s famous China Exclusion Act, a story the North American country should reflect on,” said Yao Peng, Deputy Secretary General of the Center for Canadian Studies and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

“It’s like the Canadian version of the 21st century McCarthy trend targeting China,” he said.

Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, also spoke about the latest incident.

“The fundamental reason why Canada is making baseless accusations against China is that the country has increased its strategic coordination with the United States, and this expulsion could signal the start of a series of reciprocal measures,” Li said. .

“As Canada’s China policy looks set to become increasingly divisive, there will be no change in its political decision-making process,” he added.

Some observers argue that expelling diplomats is a reckless act rarely used by states, as the practice of international diplomacy has long been one of mutual retaliation. This saw the diplomat’s expulsion almost a declaration of hostility to the other side.

However, China is not the party that intends to escalate tensions. China’s attitude, observers say, also depends on how the Canadian side responds, whether to escalate the situation or attempt to control the damage.