China, Hong Kong and Foreign Interference

Vancouver Sun: Criticism comes from all sides after B.C. Ferries awards contract to Chinese state-owned company

“The Liberals are set to hand over $30 million (in federal subsidies) to B.C. Ferries while B.C. Ferries hands over critical jobs, investment and industry to China,” Kibble charged.

Freeland responded that she agrees the federal government needs to be supporting local industry and working with allies and trade partners but that the B.C. Ferries’ contract wasn’t a federal project.

Jenny Kwan, NDP MP for Vancouver East, told Postmedia that Ottawa has a role in working with provincial governments to build up the country, including ensuring that domestic companies can compete for large procurement contracts.

“We have to re-examine how that procurement process is undertaken,” said Kwan.

Globe & Mail: MPs set to vote on motion seeking honorary citizenship for jailed Hong Kong businessman Jimmy Lai

Sebastien said at a press conference that the fact that his father had stayed in Hong Kong “in the face of oppression” showed his courage, but that if he were released he would likely come to Canada, where many of their family members, including Mr. Lai’s twin sister, live. He suggested he would also visit Britain where they have family.

Mr. Lai owns 12 hotels and 20 restaurants and spas in southern Ontario, as well as significant real estate in Canada. Local Conservative MP Tony Baldinelli said his properties are “a significant driver of local tourism in Niagara on the Lake.”

Immigration Minister Lena Diab was asked if she would grant Mr. Lai honorary citizenship on Monday by NDP MP Jenny Kwan in the Commons.

Ms. Kwan, who was born in Hong Kong, said Hong Kong’s national-security law had stripped people of their basic rights.

The law contains vaguely defined offences that Amnesty International has said mean “virtually anything could be deemed a threat.”

“Those who dared to speak up and to fight against this were persecuted. Jimmy Lai is one of those individuals. He dared to speak truth to power,” Ms. Kwan said.

She said Mr. Lai must be released if “the Chinese government values their reputation in any way, shape or form.”

HANSARD: Will the minister grant Jimmy Lai honorary Canadian citizenship?

ICIJ: Canadian lawmakers urge action against international regression in wake of China Targets probe

International Consortium of Investigative Journalists: Members of Parliament have called on the newly elected government to enforce a law against transnational repression following reports of Chinese authorities targeting Canadian residents.

Jenny Kwan, a member of the left-leaning New Democratic Party who herself is an “evergreen” target of the Chinese government according to Canda’s intelligence agency, told ICIJ media partner CBC News that countering transnational repression has become an urgent matter.

“In light of the CBC investigation and the reports that have now come out, you would think that this would be a priority for the government,” Kwan, who was born in Hong Kong, said in an interview. “But so far, I have yet to hear the prime minister say foreign interference, transnational repression is a top priority for them.”

HANSARD: Reply to the Throne Speech

HANSARD: Reply to the Throne Speech - Bill C-70 Foreign Interference

Hill Times: Feds can’t continue to delay ‘heavy lifting’ on foreign interference response, says NDP MP Jenny Kwan

Nearly a year after Bill C-70, the Countering Foreign Interference Act, received royal assent last June following unanimous consent from opposition parties, Kwan noted that Carney’s government is already signalling the promised foreign influence registry is not on the fast track.

Alongside amendments to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Act, the Security of Information Act, the Canada Evidence Act, and the Criminal Code, Bill C-70 established a new Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act, which allows for the creation of a foreign agents’ registry to be administered by an independent transparency commissioner.

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ASIAN PACIFIC POST: FOREIGN INTERFERENCE FEARS GROW IN CANADA

Gloria Fung, past-president of Canada-Hong Kong Link, voiced her concerns recently, stating that a significant gap remains because Ottawa has yet to appoint a commissioner or clearly outline the registry’s operational framework.

Fung, alongside representatives from other cultural organizations, participated in a news conference to highlight the persistent threats of foreign interference, including intimidation and coercion directed at diaspora communities.

New Democrat MP, Jenny Kwan, who also attended the event, criticized the government’s delay in launching the registry.

“Where is that registry? What does it entail, and what are the obligations for those affected? We have no clarity on any of these issues,” she said.

 

Canadian Press: Groups call on Ottawa to activate foreign influence registry as election approaches

Gloria Fung, past-president of Canada-Hong Kong Link, said Thursday there’s “still a vacuum” because Ottawa has yet to appoint a commissioner or explain exactly how the registry will work.

Fung appeared at a news conference Thursday with several other representatives of cultural communities concerned about meddling, intimidation and threats from abroad.

New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan, who also took part in the event, accused the government of moving too slowly on the foreign influence registry.

“Where is that registry? What does that registry look like, and what are the requirements for people to follow the law?” she said. “We have none of that information.”

Neither the office of Public Safety Minister David McGuinty nor his department had immediate responses to questions Thursday about progress on implementing the foreign influence registry.