Hong Kong Groups Urge Support for Petition Demanding Foreign Influence Registry

Hong Kong Organizations Call for Backing of Petition Advocating Establishment of Registry to Monitor Foreign Influence

September 13, 2023 TruthUSA

Several Hong Kong communities in Canada are rallying support for a citizen petition urging the Canadian government to establish a foreign influence registry to counter China’s interference and influence activities within the country.

In a press release on Sept. 13, the non-profit organization Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement (VSSDM) called for the immediate implementation of a foreign agent registry. The registry aims to increase transparency in Canada regarding the activities of lobbyists representing foreign governments.

The VSSDM has expressed support for petition e-4534, initiated by Toronto resident Winnie Ng and sponsored in the House of Commons by New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan.

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In addition to advocating for the creation of a foreign influence registry, the petition has raised concerns about certain individuals within the Canadian community exploiting the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 to undermine the government’s commitment to establish the Foreign Influence Transparency Registry (FITR). The Chinese Immigration Act, also known as the Chinese Exclusion Act, had resulted in a ban on Chinese immigrants to Canada for over two decades.

“Anti-Chinese racism cannot be used as a shield to distract from and to minimize the urgent actions required to preserve our Canadian democracy,” the petition says.

The VSSDM noted that, unlike the Chinese Immigration Act, the proposed foreign agent registry legislation applies exclusively to those lobbying on behalf of foreign governments in Canada.

“Critics of the FITR often wrongly equate the Registry with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923. This century-old racist act was a blanket discriminatory tool used to bar all Chinese individuals from entering Canada. In contrast, the foreign-agent registry is meant for those, whether Canadian or not, who lobby on behalf of foreign governments,” the group said in its press release.

The U.K.-based non-profit Hong Kong Watch has encouraged the public to sign the petition, saying, “Let’s join hands in combating [foreign interference],” on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Opposition

On June 24, Canadian Senators Victor Oh and Yuen Pau Woo led a demonstration on Parliament Hill. While the protest had been promoted as commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act, some organizers discussed it within the context of a broader movement opposing the proposed foreign agent registry act.

Prior to the protest, both senators engaged in a series of forum discussions with various Chinese-Canadian communities during which they encouraged the audience to

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