Former MP Claims Chinese Consul-General in Vancouver Gave a Cryptic ‘Warning’ to Canadian Politicians
Former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu expressed his concerns to authorities investigating foreign interference regarding a veiled “warning” issued by a former Chinese consul-general in Vancouver.
Chiu, in an interview with The Epoch Times, mentioned his unease about comments made by Tong Xiaoling during a July 2020 interview on the Vancouver-based Chinese language radio station AM1320.
“She was practically giving out a warning to Chinese Canadian politicians,” he stated.
In the interview, Tong was asked about China potentially imposing sanctions on Canadian critics, particularly “ethnically Chinese politicians,” who had been vocal against Beijing’s imposition of a national security law in Hong Kong. Canada and other Western democracies have condemned the law as a violation of human rights.
In her response, Tong accused Western politicians of using human rights as a pretext to interfere in China’s internal affairs and defended the national security law as targeting a small minority causing disruption and threatening national security in Hong Kong.
“If you are not breaking the law or engaging in such activities, why worry about your safety?” Tong said in Mandarin.
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The national security law, implemented in 2020, is widely criticized for undermining Hong Kong’s democracy and facing global censure for its broad repercussions, which even affect foreign nationals.
Chiu, who vocally opposed China’s human rights violations during his time as an MP, alerted the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections, the Foreign Interference Commission, and the RCMP about this issue on Sept. 18.
Beijing ‘Weaponized Fear’
Chiu closely monitored investigations into Beijing’s interference in the latest two federal elections in Canada. He noted that since Tong’s comments occurred outside the election period, he only remembered the incident after reviewing a report published by the Commissioner of Canada Elections.
“I forgot to mention that to the authorities during my interviews because I was focused on the election period. But reading the report jogged my memory,” he explained.
The review, presented to the foreign interference inquiry on Sept. 17, centered on a China-linked disinformation campaign in the B.C. riding of Richmond-Steveston, where Chiu served as MP before losing in the 2021 election to the Liberal candidate.
Throughout the election campaign, Chiu reported being targeted by a widespread disinformation campaign that painted him as anti-Chinese, spreading false information about Chiu and his advocacy for human rights on the Chinese social media platform WeChat.
Investigators from the Commissioner of Canada Elections stated that these influence efforts were motivated by the Conservative Party’s election platform, which included a detailed section on confronting Beijing’s aggressive behavior, and Chiu’s statements and actions were distorted to portray both him and the platform as “anti-China” and promoting discrimination and racism against Chinese individuals.
Chiu emphasized that the investigators repeatedly highlighted the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) use of fear to influence diaspora communities.
“The report mentioned the word ‘fear’ numerous times, showcasing how the CCP weaponizes fear among Canadian populations, Chinese communities, politicians, and others,” Chui stated.
