CANADA EXPELS CHINESE DIPLOMAT OVER ALLEGED LEGISLATOR THREATS

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly.

Mon 08 May 2023:

Canada has declared Zhao Wei, a Chinese diplomat allegedly behind the intimidation of a conservative lawmaker, “persona non grata,” Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced on Monday.

“Canada has decided to declare persona non grata Mr. Zhao Wei,” Joly said in a statement.

Canada will not tolerate any kind of foreign interference in its internal affairs, the minister stated, noting that diplomats stationed in the country “have been warned” against engaging in such activities.

The decision to expel Zhao Wei was taken after “careful consideration of all factors at play,” she added.

Last Friday, Joly summoned China’s ambassador to Canada Cong Peiwu after media reported that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) allegedly said Conservative lawmaker Michael Chong and his family were targeted by the Chinese government after he sponsored a motion to accuse China of genocide against Uighurs.

Joly had then affirmed that Canada was considering all available options, including expelling the allegedly involved diplomat, but that such a decision required an assessment of the consequences it could have on Canadian political, diplomatic, and economic interests.

Ambassador Cong said diplomatic and consular personnel were not involved in any activities other than their duties to the mission and rejected the allegation of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 elections.

The ambassador also advised Canada to abandon its provocative behaviour, noting that China would answer in kind.

Conservative Party legislator Michael Chong is at the heart of the recent allegations of Chinese interference in Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has been under pressure to take action after the Globe and Mail newspaper reported earlier this month that China had sought information about any relatives of a Canadian legislator “who may be located” within its borders.

The move was likely part of an effort to “make an example of this MP and deter others” from taking anti-China positions, the newspaper said, citing Canada’s spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

While the CSIS report did not name the lawmaker, the Globe said a national security source identified the targeted politician as Michael Chong, a member of the opposition Conservative Party of Canada.

China sanctioned Chong in 2021 after he spearheaded a Canadian parliamentary motion condemning Beijing’s treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority as a “genocide” – a charge rejected by the Chinese government for years.

“It shouldn’t have taken this long,” Chong said during a news conference on Monday afternoon, responding to Canada’s announcement that it was blacklisting Zhao, the Chinese diplomat.

“We have known for years that the PRC [People’s Republic of China] is using its accredited diplomats here in Canada to target Canadians and their families,” Chong said.

“I hope that this makes it clear to not just the PRC but other authoritarian states that have representation here in Canada that this crossing the line of diplomacy into foreign interference threat activities is utterly unacceptable here on Canadian soil.”

The accusations this month have led to renewed tensions between Ottawa and Beijing. The two countries have had frosty relations for several years over a range of issues, including human rights, trade, and the arrests of Canadian and Chinese citizens.

Canada summoned the Chinese ambassador to the country on Friday over the allegations of intimidation against Chong, stressing that it was mulling all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty.

Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, hit back by accusing the Canadian government of advancing a “groundless smear” against China’s diplomatic and consular mission in Canada.

Canada has decided to declare persona non grata, Mr. Zhao Wei. pic.twitter.com/rZXeNTtdV4

— Mélanie Joly (@melaniejoly) May 8, 2023

“A handful of Canadian politicians and media have hyped up a fabricated story of ‘China targeting a Canadian lawmaker’, which is nothing but a political stunt that grew out of ideological bias,” Mao said during a news conference last week.

“I want to stress that the Chinese diplomatic and consular personnel in Canada always abide by relevant international conventions and perform their duties in accordance with the law. The Chinese side will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard its own interests.”

Joly, Canada’s foreign minister, said on Monday that decision to blacklist Zhao came “after careful consideration of all factors at play”. “We remain firm in our resolve that defending our democracy is one of the utmost importance,” she said.

But Heather McPherson, a member of the left-wing New Democratic Party, said on Monday that it was “appalling” and “unacceptable” that it took the government as long as it did to declare Zhao “persona non grata”.

“We don’t know if there are other examples” of intimidation, McPherson told reporters. “There are members of the Chinese-Canadian community who have been warning about interference, [who] have been warning about intimidation, for decades.”

Ottawa continues to face calls to investigate other alleged instances of Chinese interference, including attempts to meddle in Canadian elections and the use of covert “police stations” in Canada. Beijing has rejected those allegations, as well.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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