China’s Influence on Canadian MPs Revealed in Inquiry

Recent documents presented at the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference (PIFI) indicate that Chinese officials attempted to sway Canadian MPs against a 2021 motion condemning the genocide of Uyghurs, National Post revealed yesterday.

The motion passed unanimously, but post-vote, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) sought to “build profiles” on supportive parliamentarians, possibly informing subsequent economic sanctions against them.

Conservative MP Michael Chong testified that he was approached last October by Haiyan Zhang, a former Privy Council Office analyst dismissed for alleged espionage in 2003. Chong’s inquiry into Zhang’s potential threat status revealed that all relevant files had been destroyed by government officials.

Chong has been vocal about the government’s inadequate response to foreign interference, especially after reports emerged in 2023 detailing PRC surveillance of him and his family. He criticized the lack of communication from the government regarding security threats, describing it as “gross negligence.”

The inquiry highlighted that Chong and fellow Conservative MP Kenny Chiu were targeted by PRC interference efforts. Despite intelligence warnings dating back to 2021, Chong was only briefed on these threats after media revelations in 2023. He urged the government to enhance transparency regarding foreign interference and improve how such threats are communicated to parliamentarians and the public.