The following text addresses the recently renewed military level discussion between Canada and China after a number of years of diplomatic conflicts between the two states. Whereas Beijing perceived the discussion on September 4 as a signal of trust and collaboration, Canada's Ministry of National Defence described it as a usual functional discussion aimed at sustaining contact without any defense cooperation in sight. The conservative opposition, headed by Pierre Poilievre, sharply attacked the government's secret discussion with a country known for foreign interference and arrests of Canadian citizens.