The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Canada (,

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

: Ambassade de la République populaire de Chine au Canada) is the

embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a Sovereign state, state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. China purchased the building at St. Patrick Street in 1972, soon after diplomatic relations were established between Canada and the PRC. The structure had been built by the Sisters of Good Shepherd who had used it as a

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

for several decades. The Chinese government paid some $1.6 million for it. In the mid-1980s a major expansion of the structure was completed. The embassy is located in the

Lower Town Lower Town (also spelled "Lowertown" () is a neighbourhood in Rideau-Vanier Ward in central Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to the east of downtown. It is the oldest neighbourhood of the city, with construction beginning in 1826. It includes the comm ...

neighbourhood with the rear of the embassy looking out on the

Rideau River The Rideau River (, ) is a river in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The river flows north from Upper Rideau Lake and empties into the Ottawa River at the Rideau Falls in Ottawa, Ontario. Its length is . As explained in a writing by Samuel de Champl ...

. The embassy's consular district covers the Ottawa region,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the populatio ...

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

, and

Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' and the Nunavut Land Claims Agr ...

. The early years of the embassy were somewhat strained. Few diplomats, and even the first ambassador did not speak

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

. Canada insisted that the staff members be subjected to fairly rigid travel rules for security reasons. During this period there was also a steady stream of defections among the diplomatic staff. In recent years the embassy has become one of Ottawa's largest and busiest. It is still the subject of frequent protests, and those protesting the treatment of

Falun Gong Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, is a new religious movement founded by its leader Li Hongzhi in China in the early 1990s. Falun Gong has its global headquarters in Dragon Springs, a compound in Deerpark, New York, United States, near t ...

are sporadically stationed across the street from the embassy. Lu Shaye was the most recent ambassador, but as of June 2019, now works for the

Chinese embassy in Paris Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

. In November 2019,

Cong Peiwu Cong Peiwu (; born May 1967) is a Chinese people, Chinese diplomat serving as List of ambassadors of China to Iran, Chinese Ambassador to Iran since 2024 and List of ambassadors of China to Canada, Chinese Ambassador to Canada between 2019 and 20 ...

was announced as the new ambassador. In 2023, the Canadian government expelled a Chinese diplomat after reportedly intimidating a Canadian lawmaker. Zhao Wei was declared persona non grata in Canada after attempting to apply pressure to Conservative MP

Michael Chong Michael David Chong (born November 22, 1971) is a Canadian politician who has represented the Ontario riding of Wellington—Halton Hills in the House of Commons since 2004. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the cabinet of Pr ...

due to Chong's criticism of China's treatment of the Uyghur Muslim population. In retaliation, China expelled Canada's consul in Shanghai.

References

External links

Official site
{{Authority control

Canada–China relations

See also

References

External links