(London) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says any decision to expel Chinese diplomats over alleged attempts to threaten a Tory MP is taken very seriously.
In a Sunday morning press scrum in London, Mr. Trudeau stressed that his government must take into account the potential negative reactions from China and what this would mean for the security of Canadians and the prosperity of the country.
It was only last week that Conservative MP Michael Chong discovered, following an article in the Globe and Mail newspaper, that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) learned in 2021 that the Chinese government was seeking ways to intimidate him and his extended family in Hong Kong.
Mr. Chong had sponsored a motion in the House of Commons that called Beijing’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China genocide.
Prime Minister Trudeau maintains that CSIS did not inform anyone of these threats, while on the contrary Mr. Chong maintains that he was informed that the national security adviser knew about them.
Mr. Trudeau says CSIS now has a directive that any such information should be taken to the highest level, even if it appears minor.
The revelation about MP Chong is the latest in a series of foreign interference attempts allegedly made by the Chinese government in Canada over the past few years, including efforts to influence the results of the 2019 federal election and 2021.
All political parties in Ottawa have agreed that any attempt to interfere will have no bearing on the final outcome of this election, but Prime Minister Trudeau has appointed a special rapporteur to look into what happened and how Canada reacted and should do so in the future.
Former Governor General David Johnston, who was appointed to the post, is due to decide in about three weeks whether a public inquiry is needed and report on all of its findings by the fall.
The Conservatives and New Democrats are calling for a public inquiry.
China has repeatedly denied allegations that one of its Toronto diplomats tried to launch a campaign of intimidation against Mr. Chong and his family.
Justin Trudeau affirmed that King Charles III is deeply aligned with core Canadian priorities of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the environment.
Mr. Trudeau says he has known the British sovereign for decades as an environmentalist committed to preserving nature.
According to the Prime Minister, when King Charles III has reached out to Indigenous peoples in recent days, he has demonstrated that he understands the problems created by British colonial history in Canada.
Mr. Trudeau also noted that Canadians had extraordinary affection for Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth.
He says that poses a challenge to anyone taking on the role of Canada’s head of state.
