Canada expelled a Chinese diplomat for allegedly targeting a Canadian politician, in the latest example of Ottawa’s tougher tone toward Beijing on everything from election interference to Taiwan.
from Canada Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Ottawa had declared Zhao Wei “persona non grata”. A Canadian official said the diplomat, who was assigned to the consulate in Toronto, had five days to leave Canada.
“We will not tolerate any form of foreign interference in our internal affairs,” Joly wrote on Twitter on Monday. “Diplomats in Canada have been warned that if they engage in this type of behavior they will be sent home.
Canada’s first expulsion of a Chinese diplomat in decades follows a report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service that Zhao targeted Michael Chong, a lawmaker who sponsored a resolution in 2021 stating that China the persecution of its Uighur Muslim population was genocide.
The CSIS report, which was seen by the Canadian newspaper Globe and Mail, said China tried to obtain information about Chong and his family in China. The report said the campaign was likely designed to “make an example” of Chong in an effort to dissuade people from taking an anti-China stance.
The Chinese Embassy in the United States did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last week, the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa strongly opposed the then possible deportation. China’s ambassador to Ottawa, Cong Peiwu, accused Canada of responding to “rumors of so-called ‘China’s interference’ relayed by some Canadian politicians and media.”
The issue has also drawn criticism of Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who recently said he was not made aware of the allegations for two years despite the potential implications for Chong, a member of the opposition party.
Canada and the United States have stepped up efforts to crack down on what they described as Chinese interference in their domestic politics and other areas. The FBI recently arrested two American citizens of Chinese descent for allegedly operating an illegal Chinese police station in New York. Last year, Canada released its first Indo-Pacific strategy, which made it clear that Ottawa would take a tougher stance on Beijing.
China and Canada have faced a tumultuous relationship in recent years after Beijing detailed two Canadians, known as ” two Michaels”, in what appeared to be retaliation for Canada detaining Huawei’s Chinese chief financial officer after receiving a request from US law enforcement.
The decision to expel Zhao comes two weeks before the G7 summit in Hiroshima at which Trudeau and other leaders are expected to issue a statement containing critical language about China.
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