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

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: 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 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 usually deno ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, 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 The Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, also known as the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, is a Catholic religious order that was founded in 1835 by Mary Euphrasia Pelletier in Angers, France. The religious sisters belong to a ...

who had used it as a

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word 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" (french: la Basse-Ville) is a neighbourhood in Rideau-Vanier Ward in central Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to the east of downtown. It is the oldest part of the city. It is bounded by Rideau Street to the south, ...

neighbourhood with the rear of the embassy looking out on the

Rideau River The Rideau River (french: Rivière Rideau) 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 writin ...

. 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: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. 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 (, ) or Falun Dafa (; literally, "Dharma Wheel Practice" or "Law Wheel Practice") is a new religious movement.Junker, Andrew. 2019. ''Becoming Activists in Global China: Social Movements in the Chinese Diaspora'', pp. 23–24, 33, 119 ...

are sporadically stationed across the street from the embassy. Lu Shaye was the most recent ambassador and is leaving sometime in June 2019 to go to the

Chinese embassy in Paris Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

. In November 2019,

Cong Peiwu Cong Peiwu (; born May 1967) is a Chinese diplomat serving as Chinese Ambassador to Canada . Biography Cong once served as counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Britain. In 2014, he became head of the Department of North American and Oceanian Af ...

was announced as the new ambassador.

References

External links

Official site
{{Authority control

Canada–China relations

See also

References

External links