Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on February 17, 2024. (Xinhua News Agency)

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday assured his Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly that their countries were "not rivals, let alone enemies", as fear of 'foreign interference' fears in Ottawa weigh on a tense bilateral relationship.

The two met in Germany on the sidelines of the Munich security conference in Germany, where Wang addressed the gathering of 180 leaders and defense chiefs, vowing that China would be a "force for stability" in the world.

It is worth mentioning that Beijing and Ottawa have had tense relations in recent years, following the arrest of a senior Chinese telecom executive on a US warrant in Vancouver back in December 2018 and in return, Beijing's detention of two Canadians on espionage charges.

On that note, Canada launched last year a public inquiry into foreign interference - notably accusing China - in its electoral and democratic institutions. During the 2019 and 2021 elections in Canada, China was accused of alleged interference and Ottawa responded by expelling a Chinese diplomat in May 2023 over allegations of alleged intimidation.

On Saturday, Wang told Joly that the "current difficult situation... is not what China wants to see", according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry readout released on Sunday, adding that "the two sides are not rivals, let alone enemies, and should become cooperative partners."

Wang urged Canada to "stop hyping the 'China threat theory' and stop spreading false information about so-called China interference in domestic affairs."

According to a Canadian government readout of the meeting, the two foreign ministers also discussed critical issues to global security, including the war in Ukraine and the genocide in Gaza.

The readout added that both Ministers agreed on cooperation on bilateral issues in a spirit of mutual respect, with ongoing talks between the two sides.

Canada restricts 'foreign influence'

Late last month, the Canadian government announced on January 16 restrictions on research funding in an attempt to prevent advanced technologies developed by Canadian Universities from allegedly being shared with China, Iran, and Russia due to "national security concerns."

Artificial intelligence, quantum science, robotics, biotechnology, advanced weapons, space and satellite technology, and human-machine integration are all on the Canadian government's published long list of "sensitive research" it wants to gatekeep.

Canadian Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne believes that "Canadian research is at the forefront of discovery." Hence, according to his statement, "its openness can make it a target for foreign influence, increasing the potential risks for research and development efforts to be misappropriated to the detriment of national security."

The new policy is expected to become effective in the coming months, however, Champagne stated that federal granting agencies might start taking research affiliations into account as soon as possible.