Canada is freezing its ties with the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) after the bank’s global communications director resigned and said the bank was “dominated by the Communist party”. Finance minister Chrystia Freeland said on Wednesday Canada was putting its ties with AIIB on hold while it investigated the allegations and did not rule out any outcomes, a clear hint that Ottawa could pull out of a bank it officially joined in March 2018. The AIIB was established by Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2016 as a Chinese alternative…
Tag: Canada
Canadian official investigating Chinese election ‘meddling’ resigns abruptly
A Canadian official appointed to investigate allegations that China attempted to subvert the country’s federal elections has abruptly resigned, blaming the “highly partisan atmosphere” surrounding his work. David Johnston was appointed in March amid concerns that Justin Trudeau’s government had failed to respond adequately to the threat of foreign interference in the last two elections. But in a letter to the prime minister on Friday he announced his resignation. “When I undertook the task of Independent Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference, my objective was to help build trust in our…
Erin O’Toole: China targeted me in election, says 2021 rival to Canada’s Trudeau
Canada’s spy agency told former Conservative party leader Erin O’Toole that China campaigned to discredit him and suppress votes ahead of the 2021 election he lost to Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, O’Toole has said. In a briefing on Friday, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (Csis) informed O’Toole about intelligence saying Beijing had targeted him in 2021, when he was Conservative leader and running to defeat Trudeau. “The Csis briefing confirmed to me what I had long suspected – that my party, several of my parliamentary caucus members and myself were the…
Canadian special rapporteur rules out inquiry into Chinese interference claims
An official named to investigate allegations that China attempted to subvert Canadian elections has announced he will not launch a public inquiry, prompting frustration from critics who say the decision only furthers Beijing’s interests. Special rapporteur David Johnston on Tuesday released a 55-page report on foreign interference in Canadian institutions, warning that subversive efforts represented an “increasing threat” to democracy. “Foreign governments are undoubtedly attempting to influence candidates and voters in Canada,” Johnston wrote. “Much has been done already, but considerably more remains to be done to strengthen our capacity…
China’s Economic Needs May Take a Back Seat to Security
To revive its sluggish economy, China set out this year to woo foreign investors and stabilize its ties with the West. But these goals are colliding with what China’s leader, Xi Jinping, considers the paramount priority: bolstering national security in a world he sees as full of threats. Mr. Xi has warned that China must fight back against a campaign by the United States to contain and suppress the country’s rise. In this worldview, foreign rivals are using spies to weaken China’s economy; Russia is not treated as a pariah…
Beijing to expel Canadian consul in tit for tat move after Ottawa expels Chinese diplomat
Beijing will expel a Canadian diplomat from Shanghai in a retaliatory move after Canada expelled a Chinese official over allegations he tried to intimidate a Canadian lawmaker who was critical of China’s treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority. China’s ministry of foreign affairs made the announcement on Tuesday after it had vociferously objected to Ottawa’s expulsion of Zhao Wei, who Canadian intelligence accused of targeting lawmaker Michael Chong and his family. Chong, a Conservative MP, has been critical of Beijing’s human rights abuses. Zhao had been declared “persona non grata”…
Canada Expelling Chinese Diplomat Amid Influence Concerns
Canada said on Monday it was expelling a Chinese diplomat amid reports he had been intimidating and gathering information on a Canadian lawmaker who had been critical of Beijing’s treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority, a decision likely to increase tensions between Beijing and Ottawa. Mélanie Joly, Canada’s foreign minister, said in a statement that the diplomat, Zhao Wei, had been declared “persona non grata.” Ms. Joly said the decision has been taken “after careful consideration of all factors at play.” “Diplomats in Canada have been warned that if they…
Canada expels Chinese diplomat for alleged intimidation of lawmaker
Canada has expelled a Chinese diplomat after an intelligence report accused him of trying to intimidate a Canadian lawmaker critical of China’s treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority. “Canada has decided to declare persona non grata Mr Zhao Wei,” the Canadian foreign minister, Mélanie Joly, said in a statement on Monday. “The decision has been taken after careful consideration of all factors at play.” The rare decision to remove an accredited diplomat comes only days after Joly’s office summoned the Chinese ambassador, Cong Peiwu, to express frustration over attempts to…
Did China Help Vancouver’s Mayor Win Election?
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Every day when he arrives at his office in City Hall, Mayor Ken Sim stares at a prominent black-and-white photograph of Chinese railway workers toiling on the tracks in British Columbia in 1884. Mr. Sim, the son of Hong Kong immigrants, said the workers’ weathered faces are a daily reminder of the symbolic importance of his election as Vancouver’s first Chinese Canadian mayor, and of just how far Chinese Canadians have come. Six months ago, his historic landslide victory was widely lauded, viewed as the triumph…
Canada summons Chinese ambassador after MP and his family harassed
Canada has summoned China’s ambassador as Justin Trudeau’s government considers expelling a Chinese diplomat accused of involvement in a harassment campaign against a MP lawmaker and his family in retaliation for the lawmaker’s criticisms of Beijing. The foreign affairs minister, Mélanie Joly, told a parliamentary committee on Thursday that her office had summoned Chinese ambassador Cong Peiwu to express frustration over attempts to meddle in Canada’s domestic politics. “We will not tolerate any form of foreign interference,” she said, adding that “all options are on the table”. Joly, who is…