By Canadian Press

Liberals tap economic adviser Dominic Barton as new ambassador to China

Sep 4, 2019 | 12:22 PM

OTTAWA — The Liberals are naming business consultant Dominic Barton as Canada’s new ambassador to China.

Barton steps into the role with the two countries engaged in a diplomatic feud.

At the centre is Canada’s arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on an extradition request by the United States, and China’s subsequent detentions of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig.

The ambassadorship has been vacant since January, when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fired former cabinet minister John McCallum following a number of public comments that broke with the government’s line.

Barton has been global managing director of consulting firm McKinsey & Co. and was head of the Trudeau government’s influential economic advisory council.

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He has connections in Asia, having worked there for 12 years as well as serving on the board of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and being listed as an adjunct professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, according to online biographies.

The Canadian Press