MPs and Senators Across Political Spectrum Condemn Beijing’s Threats Against Canadians

A Canadian flag flies by Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 13, 2020. Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

MPs and senators of different political stripes told NTD, The Epoch Times’ sister media, that it’s unacceptable for Beijing to intimidate and threaten Canadians and members of Parliament.

The revelations of Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei, who targeted Conservative MP Michael Chong and threatened his family members in Hong Kong in 2021, prompted the House of Commons to pass a motion on May 4 to push back Beijing’s “intimidation tactics” deployed “against many Canadians of Chinese descent in diaspora communities across the country.”

The motion, put forth by Tory MP Michael Cooper, calls on the federal government to immediately expel all Chinese diplomats “responsible for and involved in these affronts to Canadian democracy.” It also demands the Liberal government “to stop delaying” the creation of a foreign agent registry, a national public inquiry, and the closing down of “People’s Republic of China run police stations operating in Canada.”

NDP MP Heather McPherson speaks to a reporter at the "Taiwan Night in Ottawa" event in Ottawa on May 10, 2023. Annie Wu/NTD

NDP MP Heather McPherson says it is crucial that a foreign agent registry that prevents China and other countries from interfering in Canada’s affairs be established.

“I think that’s vital,” she said on May 10, while at the “Taiwan Night in Ottawa'' event along with parliamentarians from different parties. “We need to have a public registry. There needs to be a registry of foreign influence.”

McPherson, who is also vice-chair of the Commons Committee on the Canada–China Relationship, added that the creation of a public inquiry on the matter of foreign interference is equally important.

“We need to make sure that we do have a public inquiry that is looked at very, very carefully.”

‘Belligerence’

Citing the Indo-Pacific strategy, McPherson stressed that Canada must work with like-minded countries to protect democracies from the “belligerence we’ve seen from Beijing.”

“One of the things that’s most important is that we continually find ways to strengthen our relationships with democracies, strengthen our relationships with countries in the region that believe in democracy, believe in rule of law, believe in a rules-based world order,” she said.

Liberal MP Judy Sgro speaks to a reporter at the "Taiwan Night in Ottawa" event in Ottawa on May 10, 2023. Annie Wu/NTD

Liberal MP Judy Sgro, who represents the riding of Humber River-Black Creek in Ontario, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has now indicated to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) to bring to his desk any threats against any parliamentarian.

“I think everybody’s woken up to the seriousness of foreign interference,” Sgro told NTD. “It’s been going on for many years. It’s not just China, we have issues with Iran, Russia, and so on. But it’s just time that all of our countries band together to protect each other.”

She said Canada can learn from Taiwan, which is dealing with foreign interference on a daily basis.

“Clearly, looking at how Taiwan deals with foreign interference, deals with hybrid security, there’s a lot that we need to learn because Taiwan is under attack every single day in one form or another,” Sgro said.

‘Wolf Warriors’

Liberal MP John McKay says he is expecting more Chinese diplomats to be expelled from Canada after the recent expulsion of Zhao.

“These people bear no relationship to diplomats,” said McKay. “They’re not really interested in persuading you, they’re interested in intimidating you.”

“I expect that more diplomats will be expelled one way or another,” he added.

Liberal MP John McKay speaks to a reporter at the "Taiwan Night in Ottawa" event in Ottawa on May 10, 2023. Annie Wu/NTD

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly declared Zhao “persona non grata” on May 8, after the Globe and Mail reported a week earlier that the Chinese diplomat worked with a Beijing-linked spy service to target Chong and his family in 2021.

The Globe’s report, later confirmed by CSIS, detailed how Chong was targeted because of a House of Commons motion he sponsored in February that year calling China’s treatment of Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities a genocide.

McKay, chair of the Standing Committee of National Defence, described China’s diplomacy with Canada as one that is conducted by “wolf warriors” for the sole interest of their communist leader.

“The reality is that we are all—parliamentarians and non-parliamentarians—going to have to realize that the government of China is not here for the best interests of Canadians. They are there for the best interests of one person, and one person only—Xi Jinping,” he said.

‘More Need to Go’

Cooper told NTD that the federal government not only has to expel Beijing diplomats who intimidate members of Parliament, but also those involved in meddling in the country’s elections.

“Only one diplomat is expelled. More need to go,” the Conservative MP said.

Conservative MP Michael Cooper speaks to a reporter at the "Taiwan Night in Ottawa" event in Ottawa on May 10, 2023. Jonathan Ren/The Epoch Times

On May 9, the Chinese regime retaliated by expelling Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, Canada’s diplomat at its Shanghai Consulate, and ordered her to leave China by May 13.

Retaliation by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) isn’t new to Canada. Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arbitrarily detained in Chinese prisons for over 1,000 days, nine days after Huawei’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver on Dec. 1, 2018, on a U.S. extradition request. The two were released on Sept. 24, 2021, after Meng reached a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Justice Department on that same day, which allowed her to return to China that day.

Cooper said Ottawa shouldn’t be tolerating China’s aggressions.

“It is intolerable when we have a Beijing regime who so fundamentally disrespects Canada, who sets up illegal police stations, who interferes in our elections, who threatens members of Parliament,” he said.

“We need to respond by forcefully denouncing it, taking action, and working in the longer term to decouple ourselves from the PRC [People’s Republic of China].”

‘Harsh Dictatorship’

Bloc Québécois MP Stéphane Bergeron said the belief held by Western countries that the strengthening of trade with China to improve the living standards of Chinese people “would bring more democracy” and “more respect for human rights,” proved to be wrong.

“We realized that we were wrong,” said Bergeron. “The Chinese people still live under a very harsh dictatorship.”

Bloc Québécois MP Stéphane Bergeron speaks to a reporter at the "Taiwan Night in Ottawa" event in Ottawa on May 10, 2023. Jonathan Ren/The Epoch Times

The vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development warned that the CCP’s interference activities may be “replicated” across the globe.

“We now know that foreign interference coming from the People’s Republic of China on the Chinese Canadians might be replicated everywhere around the world. So we have to stick together, all the like-minded countries, we have to work together in order to counter these kinds of operations coming from the People’s Republic of China.”

‘Not Acceptable’

Conservative Sen. Michael MacDonald said Ottawa has been “far too patient” with Beijing’s diplomats.

“It seems like the people they send over here to be diplomats aren’t very diplomatic,” he told NTD. “We should be very strong in our opinions going forward, and let them know that their conduct is not acceptable in Canada.”

Conservative Sen. Michael MacDonald speaks to a reporter at the "Taiwan Night in Ottawa" event in Ottawa on May 10, 2023. Annie Wu/NTD

Responding to Lalonde’s expulsion, MacDonald said “that’s the way” Beijing operates, and stressed there is a difference in how Canadian diplomats conduct themselves in overseas missions compared with Chinese diplomats.

“They’re saying, ‘Well, you expel one of ours, we’ll expel one of yours,’ but our diplomats aren’t over there interfering with people’s lives or threatening people,” he said.

‘Put an End to It’

Conservative Sen. Leo Housakos said it’s “completely a dream, a pie in the sky” for Western democracies to believe they can “reform” the CCP.

“We have to learn from history. Bullies and dictators, they do not acquiesce, they don’t come around,” he said.

Conservative Sen. Leo Housakos speaks to a reporter at the "Taiwan Night in Ottawa" event in Ottawa on May 10, 2023. Jonathan Ren/The Epoch Times

Housakos added that China is operating in the “most nefarious way” by using intimidation tactics against Canadians and having their “police stations in our country.”

“We, as Canadian politicians and parliamentarians, we should never accept that. Your Canadian passport, your Canadian citizenship should trump anything else.”

The senator stressed that Beijing has been benefiting from the free market—consumer markets—that Canada and other countries have opened to them with “unfettered access.”

“We have created this monster called the CCP,” he said.

“It’s time to put an end to it.”

Donna Ho, Matthew Horwood and Peter Wilson contributed to this report.