China has announced the expulsion of a Canadian diplomat in retaliation for Ottawa's ordering a Chinese consular official to leave over alleged threats he made against a Canadian lawmaker and his family.
The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said China was deploying a ``reciprocal countermeasure to Canada's unscrupulous move,'' which it said it ``firmly opposes.''
It said the Canadian diplomat based in the business hub of Shanghai has been asked to leave by May 13 and that China ``reserves the right to take further actions in response.''
Canada earlier on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is expelling a Chinese diplomat whom Canada's spy agency alleged was involved in a plot to intimidate an opposition lawmaker and his relatives in Hong Kong.
A senior government official said Toronto-based diplomat Zhao Wei has five days to leave the country.