Canada: Liberal Party MP Han Dong was part of Chinese overseas interference, reveals report

On February, 24, Friday, Canadian investigative journalist Sam Cooper reported that forward of the 2019 federal elections in Canada, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) had knowledgeable Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that his Don Valley North candidate Han Dong was concerned within the Chinese overseas interference.

#Breaking: My investigation for Global News identifies that PM Justin Trudeau’s senior aides had been allegedly briefed by CSIS shortly earlier than the October 2019 federal election, that candidate Han Dong, was suspected to be concerned in PRC Foreign Interference.

— Sam Cooper (@scoopercooper) February 24, 2023

Citing sources conscious of the investigation within the matter, the Global News journalist claimed that Han Dong is among the many 11 “Toronto-area riding candidates” backed by Beijing within the 2019 federal elections. 

Moreover, Cooper mentioned that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service started investigating Han Dong in 2019, as Dong emerged as a political successor of the then Member of Parliament Geng Tan in a sudden and suspicious method. 

During the 2019 investigation, it was the ‘circumstances’ underneath which Han Dong changed an incumbent Geng Tan attracted the main focus of the intelligence officers. CSIS reportedly had obtained the intelligence enter that Beijing was not happy with Geng Tan’s efficiency and most well-liked Dong over Tan. 

“The Consulate was not pleased with Geng Tan’s performance,” a nationwide safety official conscious of the investigation instructed Global News.

22. CSIS allegedly had intelligence that Beijing most well-liked Han Dong to Tan. “The Consulate was not pleased with Geng Tan’s performance,” a nationwide safety official conscious of the service’s investigation instructed Global News.

— Sam Cooper (@scoopercooper) February 25, 2023

The nomination course of for the Liberal Party reportedly alarmed CSIS. Cooper cited sources to help his claims that, amongst different irregularities, Chinese worldwide college students with pretend addresses had been allegedly bused into the using (constituency) and pressured to vote for Dong.

4. CSIS investigators would later allege that Chinese Canadian seniors and college students had been bussed into the using, and college students had been instructed they needed to vote for a sure candidate to maintain their pupil visas, sources knowledgeable Global News. They mentioned Han Dong was the candidate.

— Sam Cooper (@scoopercooper) February 25, 2023

The service alleged that “Han Dong was a close associate of Michael Chan, who is a target of CSIS,” based on a supply with information of the temporary.

Cooper claimed that the Canadian intelligence company suspects that Michael Chan is a Chinese agent offering “secret political info to the Toronto Consulate.“

18. Through sources and paperwork, which will probably be quoted within the following thread, I discovered CSIS believes Michael Chan is allegedly an agent of Beijing who has secretly supplied political info to the Toronto Consulate.

— Sam Cooper (@scoopercooper) February 25, 2023

An official reportedly mentioned that “CSIS was concerned that Han Dong was connected to People’s Republic of China foreign interference in Canada,”  “And that Han Dong also was a close contact with Michael Chan, who was a target of CSIS.” However, downplaying the alleged CSIS considerations about Dong, the Liberal Party of Canada allowed him to proceed in 2019, and he gained the seat.

Refuting the allegations levelled towards himself, Michael Chan who now’s the Deputy Mayor of Markham, in a mailed response to Cooper wrote, “This sort of vague innuendo is impossible to respond to. To the extent you are suggesting I am not a true Canadian, you should be ashamed of yourself.”

19. Chan denies the allegations.
“This sort of vague innuendo is impossible to respond to,” he mentioned in an emailed response. “To the extent you are suggesting I am not a true Canadian, you should be ashamed of yourself.”

— Sam Cooper (@scoopercooper) February 25, 2023

Han Dong additionally denied the allegations of his alleged involvement with the overseas interference community, “As a Member of Parliament, safeguarding Canada’s democratic institutions is a fundamental part of my job, and I take all serious allegations of foreign interference very seriously. I am unaware of the claims provided to you by alleged sources, which contain seriously inaccurate information,” Dong mentioned, in reply to Sam Cooper’s questions on this investigation.

7. “I am unaware of the claims provided to you by alleged sources, which contains seriously inaccurate information,” Dong mentioned, in reply to my questions on this investigation.

— Sam Cooper (@scoopercooper) February 25, 2023
CSIS on overseas interference in Canada

A report by the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology particulars the take of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) on the overseas interference community.

Foreign interference threatens Canadian sovereignty, nationwide pursuits, and values, making it one of the strategic risks to the nation’s safety. Foreign interference operations make use of a wide range of methods, comparable to refined cyber instruments, state-sponsored or foreign-influenced media, and human intelligence operations.

To additional the objectives of a overseas state, social media, on-line sources, and conventional media shops can all be focused. Foreign governments that search to affect public opinion, and dialogue, and covertly intervene with democratic participation may goal mainstream media shops and native sources.

Elections are only one occasion of the democratic establishments and processes that state actors may use towards them. “C Canada is not immune to these threat activities.”

Some state actors, just like the People’s Republic of China, have interaction in hostile operations that purpose to undermine the general public’s belief in Canada’s democratic establishments and manipulate and misuse the democratic system to serve their very own nationwide goals.

According to CSIS, it’s the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese authorities that poses a menace and never the Chinese Canadians.

CSIS states that China is using all points of state authority to hold out actions that pose a direct menace to our nationwide safety and sovereignty as a part of a method to achieve a geopolitical benefit on all fronts, together with financial, technological, political, and army.

Chinese unlawful police stations working in overseas international locations

the Investigative Journalism Reportika defined in a report revealed in September final yr detailed that the Chinese authorities had beforehand opened quite a few unlawful police stations world wide, together with in developed international locations comparable to Canada and Ireland, elevating considerations amongst human rights activists. 

Several native media stories claimed that such casual police service stations affiliated with the Public Security Bureau (PSB) have been arrange throughout Canada to vilify China’s adversaries.

According to native media stories, Fuzhou had arrange casual police service stations throughout Canada which are affiliated with the Public Security Bureau (PSB). Three such police stations are positioned in Greater Toronto Area. 

According to the National Post report revealed final yr, Chinese police stations are working in three places throughout Canada as was instructed by Safeguard Defenders. A non-public residence in Markham, a comfort retailer in Scarborough, and the tackle of the Canada Toronto Fuqing Business Association. According to the Fuzhou police, 30 such stations have already been arrange in 21 international locations. According to a number of media stories, international locations comparable to France, Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom have such preparations for Chinese police stations.

Apart from working unlawful police stations, China can be accused of deploying consulates and abroad courts in a number of international locations in an try and crush dissent towards the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).