The expulsion of a Canadian diplomat was "just and necessary", a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.
China expelled a Canadian diplomat in Shanghai on Tuesday in a tit-for-tat move after Ottawa told a Toronto-based Chinese diplomat to leave , escalating already tense relations amid concerns about Chinese influence in Canada.
"China never interferes in other countries' internal affairs. The expulsion of a Chinese diplomat violates rules governing international relations," spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular press briefing.
"The expulsion of the Canadian diplomat was just and necessary. China's determination to protect its legitimate interests will not waver," he added.
(Reporting by Eduardo Baptista; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
