Former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu expressed disappointment with the government and election authorities for failing to inform him about Chinese government interference in the 2021 federal election.
The Foreign Interference Commission disclosed internal memos revealing that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and others suspected Mr. Chiu was a target of foreign agents.
“It felt like I was drowning, and they stood by watching,” he added.
Mr. Chiu recounted instances during the election campaign in his riding of Steveston-Richmond East in British Columbia, where individuals of Chinese descent closed doors on him upon hearing his Chinese name. Many mistakenly believed he harbored anti-China sentiments.
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Mr. Chiu lost his seat to Liberal MP Parm Bains in the 2021 election. He had raised concerns about CCP interference through pre-election misinformation on Chinese-language social media platforms. Mr. Chiu believes he was targeted as “anti-China” after proposing a bill for a national registry of foreign agents to regulate lobbying for individuals and groups serving foreign interests.
He mentioned that had he known about the CCP targeting him, he might have reconsidered running for office, considering the potential risk to his relatives in China.
