Canada’s ambassador to China stepping down

TORONTO —
Dominic Barton is stepping down as Canada’s ambassador to China at the end of the month, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office released Monday.

“With much gratitude and respect, I have accepted Ambassador Barton’s decision to leave his post in Beijing at the end of the year,” the statement reads.

Barton has served as ambassador to China for the past two years, during a period Trudeau’s statement described as “a time when relations between our two countries faced difficult challenges.”

The statement also thanked Barton for his involvement in securing the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. The two men were detained China for nearly three years in a move widely seen as retaliation by China for the 2018 arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver.

“He worked tirelessly on this important task,” the statement said. “Thanks for Dominic’s leadership and skilled diplomatic approach, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor are back at home with their families.”

The statement did not address who would be stepping in to the role after Barton’s departure.