News Vérité

While Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to incorporate Canada into the EU (European Union), one of his major cities — Montreal — has taken his initiative to a new level, copying the exemptions to France’s Freedom of the Press guarantee. Articles 30 and 31 of that legislation specifically criminalize defamation or public insults directed against public officials, including government ministers, members of parliament, and civil servants. Fines for defaming a public official can reach up to €45,000.  This month, Montreal’s City Council adopted a municipal bylaw banning insults, aggressive language, and harassment directed toward police officers, transit workers, and city staff. The bylaw targets insults, harassment, and abusive behavior, allowing municipal workers to refuse service to citizens who display offensive or aggressive conduct — or to bring civil charges. Fines for insulting or verbally abusing municipal employees range from $300 to $1,000 for a first offense, and up to $2,000 for subsequent offenses. The big problem is that the bylaw never defines insult, so an official could charge someone for, for example, saying the official looks tired or should dress better on the job.

Chinese state media outlets, government commentators, and policy analysts are framing the Washington, D.C. summit between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping around several key narratives: 1. Focus on “Constructive Strategic Stability” and Joint Guidance Official releases from China’s Foreign Ministry and official media characterize the talks as a “sincere and in-depth exchange”. Chinese messaging emphasizes that both nations are at another “historical juncture” and must work together to chart the course for the bilateral relationship. President Xi’s statements—widely carried in state outlets—highlight adding “new substance” to the strategic relationship, ensuring both countries maintain mutual respect and economic stability. 2. Reaffirming Firm “Red Lines” Chinese diplomats and media commentators have repeatedly underscored that while Beijing seeks dialogue, its core national interests are non-negotiable. State media and international messaging from figures like Ambassador Xie Feng explicitly re-emphasized Beijing’s key “Four Red Lines”: The Taiwan issue (identifying it as the primary core interest). Democracy and human rights — respect for internal governance. China’s political system and development path. China’s right to economic and technological development. 3. Pushback Against American Coercion A consistent theme among Chinese policy analysts featured in media outlets is that maximum pressure tactics, threats of high tariffs, and

President Trump pulled out all the pageantry pieces he had in the game of global diplomacy for the visit by China’s Xi Jinping, but underlying it all was the goal of his guest to extract further concessions from Trump toward China’s acquisition of the breakaway republic of Taiwan. In their private, pre-gala-dinner talk, Xi warned Trump to “adhere to the correct position of opposing Taiwan independence,” according to news reports from China. He also cautioned the president again about the “the Thucydides trap,” whereby the world’s leading power ends up going to war with its main challenger. Recall that, during his visit with Xi in October, Trump put on hold an arms sale to Taiwan when the Chinese President initially warned him that independence for the island-nation was a no-go in U.S.-China relations. What will Trump do this time? Give Taiwan away if Xi can convince Iran to sign a peace deal? The two-leader discussion preceding the state dinner resulted in no details being released by the White House. Most U.S. reporters and analysts concluded that little was concretely achieved, though the two leaders did evidently agree to extend a trade truce until January. In my way of viewing all