OTTAWA -- In imposing recent sanctions against two superpowers in China and Russia, Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau says Canada was sending a direct message to the world: bullies can change, but only when they’re told to.

“I’ve known bullies in my life, but I also know bullies can change, but they will only change if you pass the message to them that they have to change,” said Garneau during an interview on CTV’s Question Period airing Sunday.

“This is the message that we are carrying, along with our allies, that if China wants to operate on the world stage, which is fine, they must operate under international rules and the rule of law.”

Canada joined the U.S., EU, and U.K. in levying sanctions against Chinese state officials last Monday for their treatment of minority Muslims in the country. Days later, Canada did the same to nine Russian officials citing human rights abuses, including the attempted assassination and jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The sanctions against China came the same day Canadian Michael Kovrig faced trial at a Beijing courthouse for charges of alleged spying. It ended the same way fellow detainee Michael Spavor’s trial concluded days prior, with no verdict. The two men were detained on Dec. 10, 2018, days following the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on a U.S. extradition request.

On China specifically, Garneau said the country “just can’t do whatever it wants and expect to have things done its way through coercive diplomacy.”

Asked whether Canada should express its position through stronger actions, like blocking Huawei from Canada’s 5G rollout and pulling out of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Garneau said those conversations are ongoing.

“We will make decisions in our own good time and when we feel it is necessary but we are reviewing our relationship with China, make no mistake about it because China has changed in the past five years,” he said.

In an interview on this week’s episode of CTV News’ Trend Line podcast, former Canadian ambassador and representative to the United Nations Paul Heinbecker said the federal government’s adoption of a firmer tone is necessary.

Though he cautioned that Canada has to be careful given the situation with Kovrig and Spavor, “we're not in a position to sort of dictate terms to the Chinese.”

“It's a very difficult balance that they're trying to strike between being self-respecting on the one hand, not being pushed around, and not creating a situation in which makes circumstances even worse,” he said.

Heinbecker’s view is that China is “starting to play rogue.”

“There was a view that the more we allowed the Chinese into the international trading system especially, and the other international organizations, the more they would become like us. Well, it turns out that we were wrong. They've gone their own way,” he said.

Garneau said he’s uncertain what retaliation Canada will face, if any, following the sanctions.

“We don’t know what their response will be but it’s important to know that we are a country that has principles and values and operates by the rules of law and sometimes we have to speak up and that’s what we’ve done,” he said.

Last Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying highlighted Canada’s own history of injustices, namely as it relates to the residential school system.

"We urge them not to underestimate Chinese people's firm determination to defend national interests and dignity. It's a courtesy to reciprocate what we receive," Hua said during a press briefing in Beijing, according to a transcript. "They will have to pay a price for their ignorance and arrogance."

With files from CTV News' Rachel Aiello and a file from The Canadian Press.