Former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu has expressed concerns to authorities investigating foreign interference regarding a veiled “warning” issued by a former Chinese consul-general in Vancouver.
Chiu informed The Epoch Times that he found the remarks made by Tong Xiaoling during a July 2020 interview with the Vancouver-based Chinese language radio station
AM1320 troubling.
“She was essentially issuing a warning to Chinese Canadian politicians,” he stated.
In the interview, Tong was asked about the possibility of China sanctioning Canadian critics, particularly “ethnically Chinese politicians,” who have openly opposed Beijing’s imposition of a national security law in Hong Kong. Canada and other Western democracies have
criticized the law imposed by Beijing, citing violations of human rights.
During her response, Tong accused Western politicians of using human rights as a pretext to interfere in China’s internal affairs. She also argued that the national security law targets only a small minority whose actions disrupt harmony and threaten national security in Hong Kong.
“If you do not break the law or engage in such activities, why should you be concerned about your safety?” Tong stated in Mandarin.
The national security law, implemented in 2020, is widely viewed as a threat to Hong Kong’s democracy and has faced international criticism for its broad reach, which extends beyond Hong Kong residents to also
target foreign nationals.
Chiu, who was vocal about China’s human rights abuses during his time as an MP, stated that he raised his concerns about this incident with the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections, the Foreign Interference Commission, and the RCMP on September 18.
Beijing ‘Weaponized Fear’
Chiu has been closely monitoring investigations into Beijing’s interference in Canada’s recent federal elections. He mentioned that since Tong’s statement occurred outside the election period, he only remembered the incident after reviewing a report released by the Commissioner of Canada Elections.
“I failed to mention that to any authorities during their interviews with me because I was solely focused on the election period. However, that’s what triggered my memory after reading the report,” he explained.
The report,
submitted to the foreign interference inquiry on September 17, focused on a China-related disinformation campaign in the Richmond-Steveston riding in British Columbia, where Chiu served as MP before losing to the Liberal candidate in the 2021 election.
During the election campaign, Chiu
reported being targeted by a widespread disinformation campaign portraying him as anti-Chinese, with false information about Chiu and his advocacy for human rights
circulating on the Chinese social media platform WeChat.
Investigators from the Commissioner of Canada Election stated that these influence efforts were driven by the Conservative Party’s
election platform, which included a detailed section on confronting Chinese aggression, as well as Chiu’s actions and statements being used to suggest that both the platform and Chiu were “anti-China and promoting anti-Chinese discrimination and racism.”
Chiu emphasized the investigators’ repeated assertions that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) utilizes fear to influence diaspora communities.
“The report mentions the word ‘fear’ multiple times, highlighting the CCP’s use of fear among Canadian populations, Chinese communities, politicians, and others,” Chiu stated.
