Canada expels Chinese diplomat over intimidation plot

Canada announced Monday the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat accused of having sought to intimidate a Canadian lawmaker and his family over the MP’s criticisms of Beijing.

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

“I have been clear: 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,” she added.

The expulsion followed an outcry led by parliamentarian Michael Chong over a damning report by the Globe and Mail last week claiming Ottawa had turned a blind eye to Beijing’s interference in Canadian affairs.

The newspaper said China’s intelligence agency had planned to target Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong with sanctions for voting in February 2021 for a motion condemning Beijing’s conduct in the Xinjiang region as genocide.

This was “almost certainly meant to make an example of this MP and deter others from taking anti-PRC positions,” the report cited a Canadian Security Intelligence Service document as saying, using an acronym for the People’s Republic of China.

Zhao Wei, a diplomatic official at China’s consulate in Toronto, was reported to be involved in the intrigue.

After China’s ambassador was summoned last week over the allegations, Beijing on Friday slammed what it called “groundless slander and defamation” by Canada.

The Chinese foreign ministry denied any wrongdoing, insisting the scandal had been “hyped up by some Canadian politicians and media.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has faced growing pressure to take a hard line with Beijing following revelations that it sought to sway Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections — which China has also rejected.

The accusations have become the focus of parliamentary committee hearings and other investigations.

AFP

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