China, Hong Kong and Foreign Interference

Born in Hong Kong, Jenny immigrated to Canada at a young age. She has been outspoken against human rights violations by the Chinese Communist Party, and is heartbroken to see the enactment of the draconian National Security Law and the Article 23 national security legislation leading to the demise of Hong Kong's One Country Two Systems. Jenny also advocates for the Uyghur Muslim minority. In 2023, Jenny was informed by CSIS that she is an "evergreen" target of the Chinese government. She has declared that she will not bend to foreign interference.

National Post: House public safety committee votes to investigate vetting of accused NATO spy

OTTAWA — The House of Commons public safety committee has voted unanimously to investigate Canada’s security screening processes, after a Canadian woman was arrested in Belgium for allegedly spying on NATO.

The committee adopted a special, out-of-session motion on Monday to probe the vetting of Biwei “Claire” Zhang by Canadian security officials before the start of an internship last summer at NATO’s central military headquarters in Belgium.

On July 25, Belgian authorities announced they’d arrested a “Canadian national of Chinese origin” on suspicion of spying for a third country while interning at the NATO headquarters. Subsequent reporting identified the suspect as Zhang, a computer science and systems engineering graduate in her early 30s who’d previously held positions at multiple Canadian federal agencies.

Zhang’s security clearance for the overseas NATO internship was approved by the Canadian government after she was vetted by CSIS.

The NDP does not have any seats on the public safety committee, or any House committee, but NDP public safety critic Jenny Kwan said she supported the investigation.

”The government needs to conduct a comprehensive review of how this individual was vetted and cleared for a sensitive NATO posting, including the role played by Global Affairs Canada, CSIS and the RCMP,” said Kwan in an email.

Kwan also it was important to ensure that candidate screening remain “evidence based” and “(does) not become a vehicle for racial or ethnic profiling.”

*Click image or link to read the news story - https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/house-public-safety-committee-special-meeting-accused-nato-spy

Storm Media: Red Dragnet｜'Nothing Is Beyond Reach': A Canadian MP on Beijing's Long Arm

Canada is home to roughly 1.7 million people of Chinese origin, about 4.7 per cent of the population, and has been a favored destination for exiles from mainland China and Hong Kong. It is also, unsurprisingly, one of the countries where Beijing's reach abroad is most active.

The federal government's own public advisories describe the mechanics plainly: relatives still in China are used to pressure people in Canada into abandoning activities Beijing considers hostile, or into returning; and agents operating overseas are used to watch, monitor and report on people living in Canada. Public Safety Canada maintains a substantial public-facing section on the tactics involved — physical intimidation and violence, digital harassment and malicious cyber activity, social isolation, and coerced return.

Kwan, the New Democratic Party MP for Vancouver East and her party's public safety and national security critic, describes a campaign that has outgrown the categories built for it.

"The Chinese government's campaign of transnational repression has become increasingly sophisticated and brazen," she said in a written reply to Storm Media in late July. "It extends far beyond China's borders, targeting journalists, human rights defenders, democracy advocates, and refugees through intimidation, surveillance, coercion, and, in some cases, forced returns."

Her framing of what is at stake is deliberately not confined to the individuals affected. "This is not only an attack on individual freedoms but also on the sovereignty of democratic countries and the international refugee protection system," she said. "Democracies must work together to hold those responsible accountable."

*Click image or link to read the Taiwan media news - https://world.storm.mg/articles/1152999

City TV News: Hong Kong PR pathway applicants face more than 10-year wait as program nears end

When the federal government launched the permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong residents, it was described as a faster route for eligible Hong Kong nationals already in Canada to become permanent residents.

Five years later, the Hong Kong pathway is set to close Aug. 31, while tens of thousands of applicants are still waiting.

For applicants like Roger Yeung, the wait is no longer just about immigration paperwork. It is affecting careers, education, and the ability to plan a future in Canada.

Roger Yeung has been living in Vancouver since April 2023. He applied for permanent residence under the Hong Kong pathway in October 2024, but says there has been no progress.

NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan says the wait is unacceptable.

Kwan says the federal government originally promised expedited processing for Hong Kongers under the lifeboat program, and that the process appeared to work in the first year.

“The government, in this first year of implementation of the Lifeboat Stream A, Stream B program, they did expedite the process,” Kwan said.

“But then, over the years, we started to notice that the government was slowing down in the processing.”

Kwan says the problem grew after Hong Kong pathway applications were grouped under the Humanitarian and Compassionate and Other category.

She said that category also includes other urgent commitments, including Ukraine and Sudan, leaving Hong Kong applicants competing for limited space.

“For Hong Kongers, there are over 33,000 applications waiting in the backlog, and that’s just for Hong Kongers,” Kwan said.

“If you add in Ukraine and Sudan, you can just imagine how lengthy the wait is.”

To clear the backlog, Kwan says the federal government should change the Immigration Levels Plan quota and allocate enough spaces to process existing applications. She also called on Ottawa to restore immigration staffing levels.

“Rebuild the trust. Honour what you promised Hong Kongers, and deliver on the program. Change the quota now,” Kwan said.

*Click image or link to watch or read the news story - https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/07/15/canada-hong-kong-pr-pathway-applicants-wait/

Can Man VIDEO: Jenny Kwan Slams Both Liberals and Conservatives

Veteran Member of Parliament Jenny Kwan joins CanMen for an in-depth conversation about the future of Canada’s immigration system, the direction of the Carney government, and the growing political divide over immigration. In this exclusive interview, Jenny Kwan shares her views on the Liberal government’s immigration policies, the Conservative Party’s approach, parliamentary accountability, and why she believes Canada’s immigration system needs urgent reform. We also discuss:

• The future of Canada’s immigration policies
• The Hong Kong Pathway and its ongoing challenges
• Immigration processing delays and backlogs
• Government accountability and transparency
• The role of Parliament under Prime Minister Mark Carney
• What these issues mean for newcomers and Canadians alike

Whether you’re interested in Canadian politics, immigration, or public policy, this interview provides valuable insight into one of the country’s most important national conversations.

*Click image or link to watch the interview video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gno10aLlxZc

Hill Times: Critics say Liberals ‘slow walking’ foreign influence registry leaves Canada vulnerable ahead of referendum

Two years and one general election later, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree says the long-awaited foreign influence registry is “weeks” away from being operational. Yet, as his department is confident it is “very close to the finish line” after repeated missed deadlines and delays, critics say combatting foreign interference and transnational repression is “clearly not a priority” for the current Liberal government.

During a press conference in the West Block foyer on June 17, NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, B.C.), her party’s public safety and national security critic, also criticized Anandasangaree for repeatedly failing to deliver on his previously promised timelines.

NDP MP Jenny Kwan says continued delays are signaling it is ‘open season’ in Canada for malign foreign actors. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Kwan said Prime Minister Mark Carney (Nepean, Ont.) has “dropped the ball,” but that “Canadians are still subject to foreign interference attacks” from countries like China, Russia, and India, and, in the case of the upcoming referendum on Alberta separatism, from the United States, as well.

In an interview with CBC’s The House in early May, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) director Dan Rogers said that the referendum “is rife for amplification or for the sort of disinformation or foreign interference that we’ve seen from players like Russia in the past.”

A May 6 report authored by DisinfoWatch, the Canadian Digital Media Research Network, and CASiLabs also warned that Russian and pro-Trump U.S. actors are amplifying and spreading disinformation to “normalize” Alberta separatism, “amplify distrust, portray Canada as internally divided and politically unstable, and create uncertainty that could deter international investment.”

“This cannot be acceptable,” Kwan said, adding that, to protect Canada’s sovereignty, “our democratic institutions and our democratic rights need to be protected from foreign interference actors.”

In a follow-up interview, Kwan said that despite the concerns raised by CSIS and diaspora communities under direct threat from transnational repression and interference, she believes that Carney has been “slow walking” the registry.

Now, she said, alongside her suspicion that the delay is intended to avoid upsetting trade negotiations with China or India, she has to question whether the same considerations are being applied to the Americans.

Whatever the reason for the delay, Kwan said the excuses have not diminished the threats Canadians or the country’s democratic institutions face, but are instead sending “a clear message to foreign interference actors that Canada is open season.”

“Alberta’s voter list has already been compromised,” Kwan said. “Is that not serious enough for the Carney government to take this seriously and get a move on?”

“This was the will of the previous Parliament, and Carney talked about how important this is during the campaign, but afterwards, he’s forgotten all about it,” Kwan said. “It clearly is not a priority.”

In response to questions from The Hill Times, Anandasangaree’s office said the final regulations “should be gazetted soon,” and that the registry “will be up and running later this summer.”

*Click image or link to read the full news story - https://www.hilltimes.com/2026/06/23/critics-say-liberals-slow-walking-foreign-influence-registry-leaves-canada-vulnerable-ahead-of-referendum/508941/?utm_source=The+Hill+Times&utm_campaign=f9702a0d0c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_06_22_07_19&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_251d35861a-f9702a0d0c-94024765&mc_cid=f9702a0d0c&mc_eid=4520aaba21

HOUSE VIDEO: Questions Immigration Minister Diab on Immigration File

Getting clear data out of this Immigration Minister is like pulling teeth.

During committee, I asked simple, direct questions about the Safe Third Country Agreement and our immigration backlogs. Instead of transparency, we got non-answers, canned talking points, and a complete evasion of the facts.

If you can't manage your own file or answer basic questions about it, you shouldn't be running the department. No wonder MPs are calling for her to resign.

*Click image or link to watch the video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtqqAfC8Bqk&t=55s

OPEN LETTER: Raising concerns on continued delay in fully implementing the Foreign Influence Transparency & Accountability Act

City News: Demonstrators hold rally for Hong Kong residents facing PR processing backlog

The rally is organized by the Hong Kong Pathway Alliance. Similar events are also taking place in Calgary and Toronto.

The pathway allows eligible Hong Kong residents in Canada, including people who studied or worked here, to apply for PR.

People here say they have waited for years and still do not know when their applications will be finished.

“Right now I’m stuck in limbo. It’s been a year and a half. I haven’t heard back from the IRCC regarding my application, and we’re continuously arguing with, we’re continuously hoping that IRCC sees our cases,” said Vikrambir Singh, another demonstrator.

“There’s not just me, there’s 40,000 plus applications that are stuck in limbo, and we don’t know when they’re going to get processed.”

They also point to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) processing time tool, which now suggests new applicants could wait more than 10 years for their PR.

The Immigration Minister recently told Parliament that there have been more than 46,000 applications under the Hong Kong PR pathways, and just over 13,000 had arrived.

“And the minister’s solution is, “don’t apply under the lifeboat scheme”. What is she even talking about? That scheme was specifically designed for Hong Kongers, said MP Jenny Kwan, representing Vancouver East for the NDP.

“So, it is absolutely outrageous that she would renege on the government’s promise in suggesting that the Hong Kongers should apply under a different stream. It is absolutely unacceptable.”

The federal government introduced special measures for Hong Kong residents in 2020, after China imposed the national security law in Hong Kong.

*Click image or link to read or watch the TV news story - https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/06/07/demonstrators-rally-hong-kong-pr-processing-backlog/

Global News: Liberals questioned on details of police cooperation MOU between China and Canada

NDP MP Jenny Kwan questioned the Liberal government in the House of Commons on Monday about an agreement the Carney government recently signed with China. "Canada signed a police cooperation agreement with China behind closed doors. The RCMP reportedly reviewed that Canada cannot publicly disclose details of the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) without Beijing's approval... Will (Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand) be frank with Canadians, if she asked China's commission to release the MOU, yes or no?" Kwan asked. "Canada has entered into MOUs with China on combatting crime in various forms since 2010. And has historically been the case with this agreement, the advice of Canada's intelligence agencies are always followed," Anand replied. Anand told the House that during her conversation with China's Foreign Affairs Minister, she raised her government's concerns on various issues, such as transnational repression and domestic human rights issues.