Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has delivered a Mid-Autumn Festival message to “Canadians of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese heritage”.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 中秋快樂! pic.twitter.com/mqVi1jTb0H
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 15, 2016
In a statement and video, he said: “To mark this joyous occasion, families and loved ones get together, light colorful lanterns, share traditional mooncakes, exchange greetings and gifts, and admire the spectacular beauty of the full moon.”
See also: In Pictures: ‘Fire dragon’ draws thousands to Tai Hang festival
“This celebration serves as a reminder of the rich and vibrant diversity that is at the core of our country’s identity.”
Not everyone was impressed by his festive greeting. Artist Badiucao replied to Trudeau’s video tweet with a cartoon showing him kissing the hand of Communist revolutionary Mao Zedong.
In August, Canada announced it would join the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
greeting received pic.twitter.com/8OPR9PpqXD
— 巴丢草 Badiucao (@badiucao) September 16, 2016
Trudeau recently visited Hong Kong and China, where he sought to establish a “strong, stable relationship and ongoing dialogue” with Beijing.
On Thursday, the family of alleged Canadian spy Kevin Garratt confirmed he had been released by China following his detention in Dandong in 2014.
