Conservative MP says feds did not brief him on alleged threats to his family in China | CBC News

Conservative member of Parliament Michael Chong says Ottawa should have informed him of potential threats to his family made by China’s government.

Chong released a statement after the Globe and Mail, citing a top-secret document and an anonymous national security source, reported that China’s intelligence service sought to target the MP and his family.

The former cabinet minister serves as the Conservatives’ foreign-affairs critic and routinely criticizes the regime in Beijing over its human rights record and its alleged attempts to meddle in Canada’s affairs.

Chong said in a statement issued Monday that, like other Canadians, he has family overseas — and any attempts to threaten them in an attempt to intimidate or coerce people in Canada constitutes a national threat.

Chong said the Canadian Security Intelligence Service never briefed him about any threats made against him or his family. He said he believes that is because Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office did not authorize such a warning. The Globe story, citing a confidential national security source, said a Chinese diplomat in Toronto is involved in the operation.

“In fact, the latest diplomatic and consular list of accredited diplomats provided by Global Affairs Canada shows that this diplomat, Mr. Wei Zhao, is still approved by the government to work in Canada,” Chong said in his statement. 

“It is obvious and dumbfounding that the government continues to turn a blind eye to the threat of foreign interference.”

The allegations in the story led question period in the House of Commons on Monday. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau why the government didn’t take action sooner on threats to Chong and his family.

“His government produced a briefing note which exposed these threats to the [Chong’s] family two years ago,” Poilievre said.

“And yet the diplomat that worked to punish a Canadian MP’s family is still in Canada when the prime minister could have expelled him. Why didn’t he expel this diplomat?”

Trudeau replied that he took action following the Globe story. He didn’t offer specifics.

“It is absolutely unacceptable for any Canadian to be subject to intimidation by a foreign power, particularly threats against family and against families of members of Parliament,” Trudeau said

“That’s why as the reports came out this morning, I immediately asked officials to follow up on these reports and to get to the bottom of this.”

Poilievre fired back by accusing Trudeau of taking action only after the media made the issue public. Poilievre added that the CSIS briefing note in the story said Beijing views Canada as a “high-priority target” for interference.

“The same briefing note indicated two years ago that Beijing saw Canada as uniquely vulnerable to its interference because we have no foreign interference laws to stop them,” Poilievre said.

Poilievre pointed out that the United States and Australia have established foreign agents’ registries to counter foreign interference, but Canada has not. Trudeau replied that the government is consulting on whether to create one.

Trudeau’s office and the security agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment and the Canadian Press has not independently verified the allegations published in the Globe and Mail.

China sanctioned Chong in 2021, barring him from entering the county and prohibiting Chinese citizens from conducting business with him.