The government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expelled a Chinese diplomat who was involved in a scheme to threaten an opposition politician, MP Michael D. Chong and his family.
Zhao Wei, a diplomat working in Toronto, has been designated by Canada as “persona non grata,” according to a statement from Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly. In her letter, she stated that “We will not tolerate any form of foreign interference in our internal affairs. Diplomats in Canada have been warned that if they engage in this type of behavior, they will be sent home”.
Calls for Zhao’s expulsion began to circulate last week after a report in the Globe and Mail revealed that CSIS had intelligence indicating that the Chinese government was considering ways to threaten Conservative legislator Michael Chong and his family in Hong Kong in 2021. That report has been verified by the federal authorities. Chong has criticized Beijing for the way it treats Uyghur Muslims in the province of Xinjiang in China.
“This should have happened years ago,” Chong said on Monday. “I hope that this makes it clear not just to the People’s Republic of China, but other authoritarian states who have representation here in Canada, that this crossing the line of diplomacy into foreign interference threat activities is utterly unacceptable here on Canadian soil,” he added.
According to the reports, after both Joly and Trudeau issued warnings about potential blowback, the federal government took its time deciding whether to move forward. While in London on Sunday for King Charles’ coronation, Trudeau said, “This is a serious and significant question. This is not a choice to be made lightly, and the foreign minister is approaching it with extreme caution.”
Joly stated last week that Beijing would jeopardise Canadians’ security and the nation’s prosperity as a reprisal for any deportation, but Joly now claims that the risk is worthwhile.
“This decision has been taken after careful consideration of all factors at play. We remain firm in our resolve that defending our democracy is of the utmost importance,” she wrote.
Reports mention that Chong began receiving threats following his successful sponsorship of a resolution in Parliament that referred to Beijing’s persecution of Uyghur Muslims in China as genocide.
China’s embassy in Ottawa released a statement on Monday in which it charged Canada with breaking international law and acting in an anti-Chinese manner. According to an official translation in English given by the embassy, it claimed that the action had “sabotaged” ties between China and Canada and pledged to take unnamed punitive actions in response.
Prior to now, China has maintained that it does not meddle in the domestic affairs of other nations, but it has also stated that it will react to provocation. The Chong disclosure is the most recent in a series of alleged foreign influence attempts undertaken by the Chinese government in Canada in recent years, including attempts to intervene in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
Zhao’s expulsion comes two weeks before the G7 summit in Hiroshima, when Trudeau and the other leaders are expected to produce a statement on China.
Diplomatic relations between China and Canada have been going through a rough patch since 2018. In a major blow to bilateral ties, Canada shelved its ambitious ‘free-trade agreement’ with China in September 2020. Recently, the growing tension between the two countries became apparent during an ‘unpleasant’ encounter between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the recently concluded G-20 summit in 2022.
“If you are sincere, we should communicate with each other in a respectful manner. Otherwise, it will be hard to say what the result will be,” Xi reprimanded Trudeau for allegedly leaking information to the media about their meeting that took place on November 15 this year. Trudeau then defended saying, “In Canada, we believe in free and open and frank dialogue and that is what we will continue to have…”
Further, on November 7, 2022, Canadian media outlet Global News published an article alleging that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) had briefed Justin Trudeau about covert funding to 11 federal candidates in the 2019 elections. “The Chinese Communist Party…is using all elements of state power to carry out activities that are a direct threat to our national security and sovereignty,” CSIS told Global News.
The news outlet further informed that the candidates who received funding from CCP belonged to both the ruling Liberal Party and the Opposition Conservative Party. It is also believed that the interference of the Chinese deep State in the federal elections of 2021 led to the defeat of the Conservative camp.
Notably, Chinese police stations were also reported to be operating in three locations across Canada. These included a private residence in Markham, a convenience store in Scarborough, and the address of the Canada Toronto Fuqing Business Association.
China’s official response was that the stations were set up to help Chinese expats renew their IDs or driving licenses. The stations are reportedly covert hubs for China’s “involuntary return” program, which forces Chinese expats to return home for punishment if they are found to have violated Chinese law while abroad.