![US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are holding a joint conference after the summit on the 23rd. [AP=연합뉴스]](https://i0.wp.com/pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202102/24/ab308d65-3358-4c0f-803d-319741b7f4da.jpg?w=560&ssl=1)
US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are holding a joint conference after the summit on the 23rd. [AP=연합뉴스]
US President Joe Biden (79) held a summit meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (49) on the 23rd (local time) by video. This is the first bilateral summit since President Biden took office.
First bilateral summit after Biden took office
President Biden publicly discussed Chinese checks at the meeting. President Biden said, “I am grateful for Canada’s partnership and dedication to the United States in the US-China relations. The close cooperation between the United States and Canada will enable us to compete more effectively with China.” It means that Canada’s cooperation is helping the US pressure on China, so he asks to continue to join the common front in the future. President Biden particularly urged the release of two Canadians detained in China, stressing that humans are not’bargaining chips’. The predominance of the Chinese authorities’ detention of Canadians Michael Spaber (a North Korean businessman) and Michael Kobrick (a former diplomat) is predominantly in retaliation for Canada’s arrest of Huawei Vice Chairman Meng Wanzhou in 2018.
Prime Minister Trudeau expressed his gratitude to President Biden, who has supported China’s demands for the release of his citizens. The two leaders agreed to cooperate and respond jointly to issues in the international community such as Corona 19, climate change, economic recovery, and refugees and migration.
President Biden stressed the relationship between the two countries, saying, “there is no close friend in the United States than Canada.” Prime Minister Trudeau replied, “I missed the leadership of the United States so much in the past few years,” calling President Biden by his friendly name “Joe.”
The New York Times (NYT) estimates that Prime Minister Trudeau, who is in his 40s, is almost 30 years younger than President Biden, but a natural partner with a similar political agenda. Prime Minister Trudeau was the first foreign leader to make a phone call to President Biden in November last year to congratulate President Biden’s election, and he is also the first leader to speak with President Biden last month after taking office.
Reporter Jeong Young-gyo [email protected]
