On May 8, the Canadian government announced that Zhao Wei, a Chinese Consulate diplomat in Toronto, was declared a “persona non grata” and will be expelled. Zhao is accused of attempting to intimidate Michael Chong, an opposition Conservative Party member and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs.
In response to Canada’s action, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) retaliated on the next day (May 9) by designating Consul Jennifer Lalonde from the Canadian Consulate General in Shanghai as a “persona non grata” and demanded her departure from mainland China.
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly stated on May 8, expressing a clear stance of not tolerating foreign interference in Canada’s internal affairs. Diplomats in Canada have been warned that engaging in such behavior will result in their expulsion. Joly emphasized that the decision was made after careful consideration. The statement concluded, “We remain firm in our resolve that defending our democracy is of the utmost importance.”
Zhao Was Alleged to Attempt to Obtain Information on Michael Chong’s Family in Hong Kong
The incident stemmed from a report in The Globe and Mail, a Canadian newspaper. On May 1, citing a July 2021 report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the news article revealed that Beijing, in response to Chong’s parliamentary motion condemning the repression of Uyghurs and other Turkic minority groups, sought to obtain information on Chong’s family in Hong Kong, with Zhao being the person in charge of this operation. Chong stated that he was unaware of this situation, as The Globe and Mail reported.
Chong’s father is a Hong Kong immigrant, and his mother is of Dutch origin.
According to intelligence sources cited in the report, the CCP’s action is intended to warn other politicians against confronting the CCP regime.
CCP Targets Five Groups, Hongkongers Are Among Them
The intelligence documents also reveal that the CCP views supporters of Taiwan, Tibet, Uighur rights, Falun Gong, and the Hong Kong democracy movement as “serious threats.” In late 2020, a Chinese Ministry of State Security official instructed a Canadian individual to gather information on people associated with these five groups. Once their affiliation was confirmed, upon their return to China, Chinese security officials would “create incidents” specifically targeting them.
CCP’s Retaliations Anticipated
Following the report’s publication on May 1, Mélanie Joly on May 4 stated that Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, David Morrison, had summoned the Chinese Ambassador to Canada, Cong Peiwu, regarding the affair. She was also assessing the consequences of expelling a Chinese diplomat.
She pointed out that if Canada took action, the CCP would likely resort to economic, consular, and diplomatic threats, similar to how they responded to the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, a Huawei executive, by detaining two Canadians in 2018.
Chong Sanctioned for Condemning CCP’s Conduct in Xinjiang as Genocide
In March 2021, Michael Chong, then Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, along with the International Human Rights Committee, and Gayle Manchin, Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and Tony Perkins, Vice Chair of the same commission, were sanctioned by the CCP. They were banned from entering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Chinese citizens and institutions were prohibited from engaging in transactions with them or their immediate family members.
At the time, Chong responded to the sanctions, stating that in a democratic country, it is important to speak up for those who have been silenced, “If that means China sanctions me, I’ll wear it as a badge of honor.”
The sanctions came after the Canadian Parliament passed a bill on Feb. 22 that year, recognizing the CCP’s actions against the Uighur population in Xinjiang as genocide. Michael Chong was one of the bill’s initiators, urging the Canadian government to acknowledge the motion and strengthen economic sanctions against the CCP in coordination with allies. He described the CCP’s actions as threatening Canadian citizens, companies, and fundamental values.
Regarding the sanction on Chong, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was unacceptable and emphasized that Canada “will continue to promote democracy and human rights alongside civil society and international partners.”
In April 2021, when the printing factory of the Hong Kong Epoch Times was attacked by the CCP, Michael Chong released a statement condemning the CCP’s violation of international law and the Sino-British Joint Declaration and calling on the Trudeau government to oppose the suppression of freedom of speech in Hong Kong from the CCP.
Canadian Authorities Shut Down Four Illegitimate CCP Police Offices
On another front, the infamous overseas police stations established by the CCP faced scrutiny. Canadian authorities announced the closure of four illegal CCP police stations in Canada on March 2, leading to dissatisfaction expressed by officials from the Chinese embassy.
According to a report released by the human rights organization Safeguard Defenders, the CCP has established at least 102 secret police stations worldwide, with five operating in Canada.
Trudeau Raised Concerns About CCP Interference, Faces Criticism and Intimidation from Xi Jinping
During the G20 summit in November 2022, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talked with CCP President Xi Jinping for approximately ten minutes. According to Canadian government sources, Trudeau expressed “serious concerns” about the CCP’s interference activities in Canada.
At the time, intelligence agencies in Canada reported instances of interference originating from CCP to Trudeau and his cabinet members. These included CCP funding for at least 11 candidates in the 2019 federal elections. Funding totaling CAD 250,000 (US$ 185,000) was channeled to support these candidates. The CCP also deployed agents to bribe former Canadian officials to influence Canadian policy. During the federal elections, the CCP launched “defamatory attacks” against politicians perceived as conflicting with its interests.
However, the following day (Nov. 16), Xi Jinping confronted Trudeau, criticizing him for disclosing the details of their conversation to the media. He said to Trudeau that if communication could not be conducted respectfully, “the outcome will not be easy to tell.” Trudeau responded, “In Canada, we believe in free and open and frank dialogue, and that is what we will continue to have, we will continue to work constructively together, but there will be things we disagree on.” Xi cut him off and said, “Let’s create the conditions first.” before he walked away and added, “How naive.”