Canada has summoned the Chinese ambassador, Cong Peiwu, on Thursday to express its disagreement with Beijing after Canadian Intelligence claimed the day before that MP Michael Chong has suffered an alleged harassment campaign by a Chinese diplomat accredited in the country.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said on her Twitter profile Thursday that Ottawa »will not tolerate any form of political interference. »All options are on the table as we assess the consequences of this behavior,» she added.
In particular, a diplomat at the Toronto consulate in China, Zhao Wei, reportedly played a major role in the harassment and threats against Chong and his family, who, however, criticized the government for its lukewarm response to the diplomatic crisis.
»This individual, Zhao Wei, should be on the first plane or be declared persona non grata,» Chong stressed, adding that Ottawa is putting »a giant billboard for all authoritarian states» to interfere on Canadian soil.
Canada’s intelligence agency revealed Thursday that different officials from Beijing have traveled to Canada with the aim of intimidating Canadians with Chinese nationality and permanent residents to return to the Asian giant.
It also claimed in its report that the private conversations of MPs and senators would have been monitored by »foreign states» in the context of the 2021 elections. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeayu had already accused Beijing in November of »aggressively interfering» in Canada’s electoral processes.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
