Threats against an MP and his family | Chinese ambassador summoned, Trudeau contradicted by his security adviser

(Ottawa) The campaign of intimidation implemented by the Xi Jinping regime against the conservative Michael Chong and his family has just earned a summons to Beijing’s ambassador to Ottawa. And the case is still far from over, as the MP in question has been informed that the CSIS report has indeed circulated in the highest ranks of the government, contrary to what Justin Trudeau said the day before.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly asked her Deputy Minister David Morrison to invite Ambassador Cong Peiwu “in light of the facts revealed by CSIS [Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité] to inform him “directly that Canada would not tolerate any form of interference.”

This summons comes after the publication, last Monday, in the Globe and Mailof an article in which it is reported that Michael Chong and members of his family have been the target of threats, as part of a scheme that was set up by a Chinese diplomat from the Toronto consulate, Zhao Wei.

Minister Joly argued before a Commons committee on Thursday morning that “all options were on the table” surrounding the fate of this individual, arguing that the government was examining what could be the “consequences” to sanction “this behavior” .

The Conservative MP at the heart of this story was unimpressed.

Because according to him, Ottawa should have already shown him the door. “Not a single diplomat from the People’s Republic of China has been expelled […] And the Canadians are in the crosshairs of the more than 100 Chinese diplomats accredited here,” said Michael Chong, dissatisfied with the answers of his interlocutor.

There is a bone, according to the head of Canadian diplomacy: Ottawa fears reprisals from Beijing. “It’s important for Canadians to know, what we’ve learned from the experience of the two Michaels is that […] the People’s Republic of China will take action,” she said.

Justin Trudeau’s version contradicted

A little later, during an extremely stormy question period in the House of Commons, MP Chong made a new revelation that further embarrassed the Trudeau government.

“I have just been briefed by the National Security Advisor [Jody Thomas] that the July 2021 CSIS report was forwarded by CSIS to the relevant departments, the national security adviser, and the Privy Council Office,” he said.

However, he refrained from providing a detail: Justin Trudeau, he did not know. No more than his chief of staff, Katie Telford. He mentioned it later in a press scrum: ” [Jody Thomas] told me that the Prime Minister had not received this information, nor his chief of staff”.

This was also later pointed out by the Prime Minister’s Office.

“The National Security and Intelligence Advisor confirmed to Mr. Chong that CSIS information was not shared with the Prime Minister or his cabinet, or ministers,” said Alison Murphy, spokesperson for Justin. Trudeau.

CSIS had yet to provide further details at the time of this publication on Thursday afternoon — including whether information on other elected officials under threat would be included in the confidential report, the passages of which relating to Michael Chong were leaked in the Globe and Mail.

Where Prime Minister Trudeau’s version is confusing is that he said Wednesday morning that the information on the Conservative MP did not “come out of CSIS”, the agency having “determined that it was not not something that deserved to be communicated at higher levels”.

He gave the directive that “in the future, with regard to matters relating to deputies, said information must be fully shared and discussed by the responsible authorities”, recalled his spokesperson on Thursday.

Beijing denies

In the midst of this flood of information, the Chinese Embassy in Canada has denied any form of attempted interference, as it usually does.

“Politicians and the media,” the Beijing mission lamented on its website, “falsely claimed that Chinese consular officials in Canada made so-called threats” against a Canadian MP and his relatives.

“It’s pure political manipulation,” we complained.

CSIS confirms Chinese schemes

Disruptive Chinese actions on Canadian soil are documented in the 2022 annual report that CSIS tabled Thursday morning in the House of Commons. There are reports of intimidation, and the installation of Chinese “police stations” in Canada, among others.

“In 2022, it was reported that subnational divisions of the Ministry of Public Security (MSP) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) had set up three “police stations” in Canada, without having been authorized by the Canadian government. “, we read in the report.

There have also been reports of “representatives from various Chinese investigative agencies” coming to Canada, “often without informing local law enforcement,” to threaten or intimidate in an attempt to “attempt to coerce citizens and permanent residents from Canada of Chinese descent supposedly on the run to return to the PRC”, one writes.

National security specialists believe that to counter this phenomenon, the government must establish a register of foreign agents. The Minister of Public Security, Marco Mendicino, has launched consultations on this subject.