Canada “will not be intimidated” by China, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said, after the Chinese government said it is expelling a Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move linked to allegations Beijing sought to intimidate a Canadian legislator and his family.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trudeau said his government made the decision to expel Zhao Wei, a Chinese diplomat based in Toronto, from the country this week after “careful consideration”.

Hours later, Beijing announced it would expel Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, the Canadian consul in Shanghai, in a “reciprocal countermeasure”.