Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Justin Trudeau bring trade talks to Montreal
Two leaders take to the ice with Montreal Canadiens before getting down to business
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are in Montreal today as part of trade talks between the two countries.
Before getting down to business at the Palais des congrès in downtown Montreal, the two leaders took to the ice at the Bell Centre Friday morning with the Montreal Canadiens and Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre.
Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau">@JustinTrudeau</a> and Premier Li of China paying a visit to the Bell Centre today. 🇨🇦🇨🇳 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoHabsGo?src=hash">#GoHabsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/ieHjcdENrO">pic.twitter.com/ieHjcdENrO</a>
—@CanadiensMTLThe chummy atmosphere in the Bell Centre appeared to continue a few blocks away outside the convention centre where the two will continue their discussions of free trade between the two countries.
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Around 300 people had gathered on the streets outside the Palais des congrès, including many Chinese nationals, hoping for a rare glimpse of a top-level politician from back home.
Many said they had been called by Chinese consular officials and asked to appear.
Others, including a handful of representatives of the Falun Gong religious group, were there to highlight human rights concerns in China that they are hopeful Li will resolve.
The Montreal-based Canada-Tibet Committee greeted Li's appearance in the city with a statement calling for a full human rights impact assessment of any free trade agreement between China and Canada.
"Canada has assumed international treaty obligations to respect, protect and fulfil human rights" said Carole Samdup, the group's executive director.
"Given the systemic nature of human rights violations in Tibet today, Canada has a moral responsibility to ensure that new trade rules will not entrench existing human rights violations or derail efforts to resolve them in the future."
Li is in Montreal to meet with political and business leaders and members of the Chinese-Canadian community, according to Trudeau's office.
With files from Elysha Enos