China blocked Canada's Tiananmen tribute, documents show
The gist
Canadian documents say Beijing authorities planted two mature trees to hide the embassy's LED candle screen.
The files surface months after PM Mark Carney touted warmer ties with Xi Jinping.
How it unfolded
- 2024The Canadian Embassy in Beijing displayed a candle image on its LED screen for the first time; the documents say the projection led to security officials contacting the embassy.
- Jun 4, 2025A boom lift partially blocked the view of the embassy screen showing a lit candle on the Tiananmen anniversary.
- 2025According to the documents, the Chinese government sent a crane to suspend a large rectangular barrier in front of the embassy screen so passersby could not see the candle.