Michael Chong, a member of Canada’s main opposition Conservative party, claimed on Monday that the country’s intelligence agency failed to notify him of threats made by China against him and his family that were revealed in a Canadian newspaper.
Chong stated that he was “profoundly disappointed” to learn of the potential threat to his family in Hong Kong from a publication that quoted intelligence assessments from 2021.
“I am profoundly disappointed to find out through a Globe and Mail report that the Trudeau government knew two years ago a PRC diplomat, working out of the consulate in Toronto, was targeting my family in Hong Kong,” the Wellington—Halton Hills representative said in his statement. “The government did not inform me that a diplomat was targeting my family, nor did the government take any action to expel the diplomat responsible for orchestrating this intimidation campaign.”
In the Globe and Mail report referenced, Beijing reportedly sought information about a Canadian lawmaker’s family who may be in China in order to “make an example of this MP and deter others from taking anti-PRC positions.” According to a national security source, the MP, who was not named in the dossier issued by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), is Chong.
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“While I have been briefed by CSIS about foreign interference threat activities, these briefings did not provide any information about this individual and specific threats to me or my family,” Chong added.
Chong claimed that the government should have informed him of the CSIS assessment and that the diplomat responsible for the “intimidation campaign” should be barred from entering Canada.
“What happened should be a wake-up call for the whole of government. An authoritarian state targeted the family of an elected MP to try to change the course of a domestic debate about our country’s foreign policy, and the government knew this and did nothing,” Chong admonished in his statement. “The Trudeau government’s inaction suggests they will not protect Canadians of differing political viewpoints from the threat activities of authoritarian states.
Chong was sanctioned by Beijing in 2021 after a resolution in the Canadian parliament declared China’s persecution of the Uighur Muslim minority to be genocide.
“It is absolutely unacceptable to see anyone being intimidated, especially a member of parliament in this house,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told lawmakers in the House of Commons on Monday.
Trudeau stated that he has directed officials to investigate the report and “get to the bottom of this.”
Several Canadian media outlets have published reports, citing anonymous intelligence sources, alleging Chinese government schemes to interfere in Canada’s last two elections. Beijing has refuted the charges, claiming that it has no desire to meddle in Canadian internal matters.
Trudeau has previously stated that China sought to meddle in the 2019 and 2021 elections but failed to influence the outcome. To investigate the claims, he has engaged an independent special investigator after callouts for his apparent inaction on the interference has intensified.
Information for this briefing was found via The Globe And Mail, Reuters, and the sources mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
