Iran Press/ Asia: On Monday, Canada declared Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei persona non grata and asked that he leave the country. The next day, China responded by doing the same to Jennifer Lalonde, a diplomat at Canada’s consulate in Shanghai.
Canada alleged Zhao was part of a campaign to pressure Conservative MP Michael Chong and his extended family that lives in Hong Kong.
Chong has taken strong anti-People’s Republic of China (PRC) stances, including sponsoring a motion to declare China’s alleged abuses against its minority Uyghur Muslim population as genocide.
The move to expel Zhao came days after Canadian media cited Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) documents that alleged the PRC had been working behind the scenes against Conservative candidates in elections and promoting Liberal party candidates.
The head of the CSIS reportedly told Chong after his vote on the Uyghur issue that he and his family were being targeted. After the report’s publication, Chong said he was unaware of any attempts to influence him, but noted he was hit with sanctions by China in 2021 after sponsoring the resolution.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said additional Chinese diplomats could be expelled if such actions continue.
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