Feds Assessing Possible ‘Consequences’ of Expelling Chinese Diplomat Who Targeted MP Chong: Joly

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly told the House of Commons on May 4 that the federal government is assessing the possible “consequences” from Beijing that could arise if Canada expels a Chinese diplomat who targeted a Conservative MP and his family in 2021.

“What we’re doing right now, as a government, is we’re assessing the consequences that we’ll be facing in case of diplomatic expulsion because there will be consequences,” she told the Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Joly added that Canadians should recall when Beijing arbitrarily detained two Canadians—Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor—for more than three years, shortly after Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. warrant to have her extradited on fraud charges.

“What we’ve learned from the two Michaels’ experience is that, of course, China and the People’s Republic of China will take action,” Joly told the committee.

Joly also told the committee that her department is summoning China’s ambassador to Canada over the matter “to convey to him directly that we will not tolerate any form of foreign interference.”

CSIS recently confirmed a Globe and Mail report published on May 1 saying that the Chinese intelligence service and a Chinese diplomat in Canada took action to target MP Chong and his family living in Hong Kong after he sponsored a House of Commons motion in 2021 declaring China’s treatment of Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities as genocide

Opposition parties have called on the Liberal government to immediately expel Zhao Wei, the Chinese diplomat who reportedly was involved in targeting Chong’s family.

More to come…