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The newcomer landed in a district of northern Toronto and introduced his bid for Canada’s Parliament. Although few knew him, an essential issue helped offset his lack of identify recognition — the backing of distinguished native Chinese language-Canadians.
“I’m very glad that I really feel very effectively supported, surrounded by associates,” the candidate, Han Dong, stated at a information convention.
However a government-appointed particular rapporteur stated there was “well-grounded suspicion” Mr. Dong additionally had assist from a hidden supply as he vied for the Liberal Social gathering’s nomination: the Chinese language Consulate.
Mr. Dong’s victory — ultimately propelling him to Parliament in 2019 — is certainly one of a number of Canadian campaigns which have raised fears about Chinese language election interference.
His case is sort of sure to be a spotlight of a long-delayed public inquiry launched in September, simply as Canada’s worries over international meddling broadened to incorporate India, whose brokers Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused of killing a Canadian Sikh chief.
The hearings are scheduled to start out in January, specializing in the 2019 and 2021 elections.
Canadian intelligence officers have lengthy warned China is exploiting Canada’s election system by swaying votes in populous suburbs of Toronto and Vancouver, which might tip common elections.
In half a dozen cities with giant Chinese language diasporas, Beijing has more and more deployed diplomats and proxies to undermine elected officers essential of it, particularly on human rights, in line with Canadian elected and intelligence officers.
On the flip aspect, officers say, Beijing and its allies have supported candidates thought-about pleasant. Lawmakers are individually analyzing whether or not China interfered within the 2019 election to assist 11 candidates within the Toronto space. Most belonged to Mr. Trudeau’s Liberal Social gathering, in line with Canadian information retailers, however just one — Mr. Dong — has been named.
The lawmakers started investigating after a unprecedented sequence of intelligence stories leaked to Canadian retailers, which reported that the Chinese language Consulate funneled cash to the 11 campaigns by way of intermediaries, and that some marketing campaign staffers had consulate ties.
Beneath President Xi Jinping’s aggressive international coverage, China has tapped into diasporas worldwide to increase its attain, and interfered in elections in Asia, Canada, the USA and Australia, officers say.
However whereas nations like Australia have tried to curb Chinese language interference, Canada has gone straightforward on Beijing, critics say. Mr. Trudeau — whose social gathering is powerful in districts with ethnic Chinese language voters and who has been criticized over fund-raising occasions in rich Chinese language-Canadians’ properties — lengthy opposed requires the general public inquiry.
“Civil society organizations like ours have repeatedly been warning our authorities in regards to the risks of the Chinese language Communist Social gathering’s infiltration, manipulation and intimidation on Canadian soil,” stated Gloria Fung, the president of Canada-Hong Kong Hyperlink, a personal group specializing in Chinese language interference. “Sadly, the Canadian authorities has not taken concrete, efficient steps to fight international interference.”
China’s embassy, which has persistently denied any interference, didn’t reply to requests for remark.
Mr. Trudeau’s workplace and the ministry that oversees international interference declined interview requests. Mr. Dong additionally declined interview requests, however has publicly denied receiving the Chinese language Consulate’s assist.
‘They dismiss Chinese language interference’
Whereas Mr. Dong campaigned in Don Valley North, a protected Liberal district, he discovered his most influential backers in Markham, simply north of Toronto.
Ethnic Chinese language account for almost half Markham’s 340,000 residents. Chinese language companies dominate its strip malls and avenues. New arrivals from China have surged in latest a long time, gaining prominence because of their wealth.
The newcomers — who usually have relations in China and depend upon consular ties for his or her companies — give the Chinese language authorities leverage in native affairs, in line with elected officers and activists against China’s crackdown in Hong Kong and its rising affect in Canada.
Having pro-Beijing positions, and even being supported by Beijing, isn’t proof of knowingly accepting assist from China. There was no proof that the 11 candidates in 2019 knew that the consulate or its proxies had been serving to them, in line with The Globe and Mail. The federal government rapporteur stated he had discovered no proof Mr. Dong was conscious of the consulate’s “potential involvement in his nomination.”
However beneath Mr. Xi, China has constructed assist for its positions in diaspora communities and interfered in elections, in line with intelligence and elected officers and specialists.
Markham’s dominant ethnic Chinese language enterprise and group teams have aligned with Beijing, together with on Hong Kong. Chinese language-language information organizations now keep away from delicate points, journalists say.
“They dismiss Chinese language interference as anti-Asian, anti-Chinese language racism,” stated Joe Tay, a journalist who has labored for a number of Chinese language-language retailers.
Some Markham Metropolis Council members have persistently taken positions favorable to Beijing’s pursuits, present and former officers say. The council has rejected a proposal to create a lobbyist registry, which might have required councilors to reveal whom they meet, in addition to a movement that may have prohibited China’s flag from being flown on metropolis property.
Present and former members say the council tipped much more towards China with final yr’s election of Deputy Mayor Michael Chan, a veteran of Canadian politics recognized for his fund-raising prowess within the Chinese language-Canadian group.
In 2015, The Globe and Mail revealed that Canada’s prime intelligence official had warned the Ontario authorities that Mr. Chan was too near Toronto’s Chinese language Consulate and beneath undue affect. Ontario’s premier on the time expressed full confidence in him.
His entrance into native politics stunned many.
“As deputy mayor, Michael Chan is usually doing a very good job,” stated Reid McAlpine, a councilor who pressed for the lobbyist registry, partly to struggle international meddling.
“However there’s an elephant within the room,” he stated. He believed China’s technique was to not intrude in each day affairs, he stated, however “to get the proper individuals in the proper place in the long term, simply to create a extra common affect and that you simply’ve acquired allies in place when points come up.”
Mr. Chan declined to remark.
“There’s no query in my thoughts, no query, that there was interference,” stated Don Hamilton, a former deputy mayor. He added that, after his unsuccessful run for mayor, he was interviewed by intelligence officers about doable interference.
A well-connected Liberal backer
Mr. Chan was certainly one of Mr. Dong’s most essential marketing campaign supporters, however the extent of his involvement is unclear.
In February, International Information reported Mr. Chan was being investigated by Canada’s intelligence company for offering political data to Chinese language diplomats and orchestrating Mr. Dong’s nomination.
Citing intelligence officers, the community stated Mr. Chan had used his affect contained in the Liberal Social gathering to oust an incumbent — who had angered Chinese language diplomats by planning to go to Taiwan.
Canada’s intelligence company declined to touch upon particular circumstances. However a spokesman, Eric Balsam, stated the company has seen a rise within the “frequency and class” of state-sponsored interference searching for “to covertly affect choices, occasions, or election outcomes to higher swimsuit their strategic pursuits.”
Born in China in 1951, Mr. Chan immigrated to Canada within the late Nineteen Sixties. He owned an insurance coverage enterprise and have become lively in Markham’s Liberal Social gathering earlier than being elected a provincial lawmaker in 2007 and holding a number of provincial authorities positions.
Jack Heath, a former Markham deputy mayor and Liberal veteran, described Mr. Chan as “extraordinarily likable” and “superb at fund-raising.”
However Mr. Chan additionally has a protracted historical past of taking positions his critics name pro-Beijing, together with defending China’s human rights practices and calling for a public inquiry into Canada’s intelligence company.
In 2019, because the Chinese language authorities deepened its management over Hong Kong amid monumental protests, Mr. Chan made feedback siding with Beijing and stated he supported “Hong Kong’s police strictly dealing with unrest.”
That yr, he backed Mr. Dong.
.
Chatting with a room filled with Chinese language-language journalists, Mr. Dong, himself an immigrant from China, stated he had the power to talk to residents, “whether or not it’s Mandarin, Cantonese or English.’’
‘Sturdy’ guidelines beneath query
After clinching the Liberal candidacy, Mr. Dong cruised to a common election victory.
A Liberal spokesman stated Mr. Dong was nominated in line with the social gathering’s “sturdy” guidelines.
However the social gathering election was marked by “irregularities,” together with the “busing in of individuals and college students” to forged ballots for Mr. Dong, in line with the federal government rapporteur. International Information, citing intelligence officers, reported that these individuals included Chinese language worldwide college students with pretend addresses.
Specialists say the irregularities stemmed from lax social gathering guidelines. Noncitizens can vote in social gathering elections so long as they’re everlasting residents dwelling in a district. Folks can vote in Liberal elections after 14 days of social gathering membership, which Mr. Trudeau made free to make the social gathering extra inclusive.
The federal government rapporteur described nominations as not correctly regulated, indicating they had been a supply of fear for Canada’s intelligence company.
“With respect to international interference,” stated Rob Currie-Wooden, a College of Alberta professional, “there will be hostile actors that leverage this inclusivity to try to make features.”
Judi Codd, Liberal Social gathering president in Don Valley North, declined to remark.
Mr. Dong gathered different heavyweight endorsements from individuals thought to be near Beijing.
John McCallum — who was fired as Canada’s ambassador to China for making feedback that appeared to aspect with Beijing throughout a diplomatic disaster — despatched his “full assist and endorsement,” in line with the information convention emcee. Mr. McCallum declined to remark.
Mr. Dong additionally had the backing of Wei Chengyi, the proprietor of Foody Mart, a grocery store chain.
International Information reported, citing intelligence sources, that Mr. Wei was beneath investigation for serving to the consulate assist Mr. Dong and different candidates.
Chinese language-Canadian activists say Mr. Wei has lengthy pressed China’s pursuits, citing his management position within the Confederation of Toronto Chinese language Canadian Organizations.
The Confederation has publicly supported China on key points, together with a 2020 nationwide safety regulation giving Beijing sweeping powers over Hong Kong, and a failed effort for the Toronto college board to host the Chinese language authorities’s cultural and language program.
The Confederation didn’t return calls searching for remark from it and Mr. Wei.
As a Liberal lawmaker, Mr. Dong hewed to the social gathering line, besides on a essential vote: He skipped a unanimous vote, led by Mr. Trudeau, to resettle 10,000 Uyghurs fleeing Chinese language persecution.
Initially, Mr. Trudeau described Mr. Dong as “an excellent member of our workforce.” In June, three months after Mr. Dong turned an impartial, Mr. Trudeau tempered his remarks, saying solely that he regarded ahead to speaking “about whether or not he needs to return again” to the Liberals.
Mr. Dong instantly expressed his want to do exactly that. Half a yr later, he has but to be invited again.
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