Believe In America.com

butterbean · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 2271

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday Canada would not "sell out" its position on democracy after learning that Beijing's leader has declined to formally meet with him during an upcoming Asia-Pacific summit of world leaders.

"I think Canadians want us to promote our trade relations worldwide, and we do that," Harper said. "But I don't think Canadians want us to sell out important Canadian values - our belief in democracy, freedom, human rights."

Canadian officials had hoped that any such meeting would include such contentious issues as that of a Chinese-Canadian being held by China.

World leaders, including Chinese President Hu Jintao, Harper, President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin, will hold their summit in Hanoi this weekend.

Canadian officials said Beijing had approached Ottawa about a bilateral meeting and that they had been negotiating over the agenda. But just as the delegation was leaving for Hanoi on Wednesday, Harper's camp said there would be no meeting.

"China approached us about a meeting. We said yes. We have since learned that the meeting offer has now been declined," Christine Csversko, deputy director of communications in the prime minister's office, said in a statement.

continued:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-sa/2006/nov/15/111501579.html