‘Persona non grata:’ Canada expelling Chinese diplomat after threats to Conservative MP

OTTAWA –

The Liberal government is expelling Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei, whom Canada’s spy agency alleged was involved in a plot to intimidate Conservative MP Michael Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says in a statement that Canada has declared the Toronto-based diplomat as persona non grata, over what she calls “foreign interference in our internal affairs.”

Joly, who warned last week that Beijing would retaliate if Ottawa did expel diplomats, says the decision followed “careful consideration of all factors at play.”

She says that “defending our democracy is of the utmost importance,” after saying China could threaten the safety of Canadians and the prosperity of the country.

The federal government has confirmed a report in the Globe and Mail that CSIS had information in 2021 that the Chinese government was looking at ways to intimidate Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong over his criticism of Beijing’s human-rights record.

China has insisted it does not interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, but says it will respond to what it calls provocations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2023.

Conservative MP Michael Chong rises during question period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick