Canadian Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne said that attempts by China and other countries to intimidate Canadians on Canadian soil “will not be tolerated,” and hinted at the possibility of criminal charges.
Earlier, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) reported that China often uses undercover national security officials and “trusted agents” to target members of Canada’s Chinese community in an effort to silence dissenters and even threaten retaliation against their families in China.
Asked about the reports on Tuesday (Nov. 17), Shang Pengfei said, “This is a matter of grave concern to me and my colleagues,” and that “any reports of harassment and intimidation of individuals are disturbing and will not be tolerated in Canada,” according to Canada’s Globe and Mail. ”
He urged Canadians who have been threatened or affected in any way to report it to police, the report added. He said, “The Royal Canadian Mounted Police will continue to investigate with a view to bringing charges under the Criminal Code.”
He added that “Canadians can rest assured that the government takes the threat of foreign interference very, very seriously” and that “the Minister of Public Safety will soon be introducing additional measures to protect Canadians,” he said.
In a statement, Mary-Liz Power, press secretary in the Office of the Minister of Public Safety, did not discuss the new measures, but said that “in situations where the threat rises to the level where members of these communities fear for their personal safety, it is important that they report this information to their local law enforcement agencies so that they can take action. ”
In addition, Erin O’Toole, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, also spoke out about the threat of Chinese Canadians being threatened by agents of the Chinese Communist Party. He said, “Chinese Canadians are threatened by foreign proxies in our country, and our cherished values of openness, justice, and tolerance have become weapons against us.”
He added, “When a dictatorship is so influential that the protection of Canadian citizens on Canadian soil becomes an issue to be discussed, you know it’s problematic.”
O’Toole’s Conservative Party has also introduced a motion targeting China in light of issues such as threats to Chinese Canadians. The motion calls for Canada to develop a strong plan to combat China’s increasing activities in Canada and its intimidation of Canadians living in the country, as Australia has done, and to submit the plan within 30 days of the motion’s acceptance.
The motion also asks the Canadian government to decide within 30 days of the motion’s acceptance whether or not to allow Huawei to participate in the country’s 5G network.
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