Canada complains to China after foreign minister blasts reporter

China has already made its position clear about its foreign minister berating a Canadian journalist who asked a question about human rights, China's Foreign Ministry said, after Canada issued a complaint about the minister's behaviour.

The incident occurred after a meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion, who raised the case of Kevin Garratt, a Canadian citizen charged with spying in China.

On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada had complained to China about Wang's behaviour.

China sought to draw a line under the incident in a short statement sent to Reuters late on Saturday in response to a question about Trudeau's complaint.

"The Chinese side has already fully expressed our position on the relevant Canadian reporter asking a question," the ministry said, without elaborating.

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said last week, after the incident with Wang, that foreign media should ask themselves whether their reporting on human rights issues was objective, fair and accurately represented what was happening in China.

"We welcome ever more media friends from all over the world to come and live and work in China, to use their eyes and souls to understand the development, changes and advances of the China of today," Hua said.