Chinese Community Members of Different Political Views United in Wanting End to CCP’s Interference: Ex-Tory MP

Former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu says members of the B.C. Chinese Community of various political convictions are uniting to call on the government to stop CCP Interference in Canada. (The Epoch Times)

Former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu says he and others who hold various political convictions in B.C.’s Chinese community are all united on one aim: to end Beijing’s interference in Canada.

Sharing an article on Twitter from the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times—which featured interviews with himself, Hong Kong commentator Gabriel Yiu, and Civic Education Society Canada president Ken Tung—Chiu pointed to their past political positions and what unites them today.

“For past decades the 3 of us vigorously debated in GVRD [Greater Vancouver Regional District] Chinese media w/ our political conviction of Conservative, NDP (Gabriel Yiu) & Liberal (Ken Tung),” Chiu tweeted on March 4.

“Today, we are united in one voice - we MUST stop #CCPChina’s interference in our home.”

Recent media reports citing leaks from intelligence officials have shown the Chinese Communist Party’s vast interference attempts in Canada’s elections.

Chiu told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times that the Chinese regime has set up extensive infiltration operations in Canada to serve its interests.

“The CCP, or other countries that have ambitions for Canada, understand that they are engaged in an asymmetric game or war—whether it is a propaganda war or an information war, or what we now know [as] infiltration in an open, transparent, and democratic political system,” he said.

Tung echoed Chiu’s comment, saying Canada is an “easy target” for Beijing and that it’s necessary to pass new legislation while reviewing existing laws to “prevent infiltration by foreign forces, especially China, which has been actively infiltrating Canada.”

Foreign Agent Registry

The most recent allegations of Chinese interference stems from a series of reports by the Globe and Mail and Global News, based on information from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), which illustrated how an influence network involving the Chinese consulate, local associations, and even some Chinese students were employed to elect Beijing-friendly candidates.

Chiu, who lost his seat in the B.C. riding of Steveston-Richmond East in the 2021 election, was reportedly a victim of a disinformation campaign set up by pro-Beijing groups during the campaign. Chiu has pushed for the establishment of a foreign agent registry, which he said would compel individuals working on behalf of a foreign entity to register their activities with the government, thus increasing transparency and accountability.

Kenneth Tung, president of the Civic Education Society Canada. (The Epoch Times)

Chiu previously introduced the Foreign Influence Registry Act in Parliament, also known as Bill C-282. He says the Liberal government should work to pass the latest version of the legislation, Bill S-237, introduced by Senator Leo Housakos in February 2022.

“Leo Housakos’ [bill] has been sidelined in the Senate. No one’s giving it attention. This is a pity,” Chiu said in Cantonese. “This also gives foreign powers, those ambitious states, the impression that Canada is weak among Western democracies.”

When asked what action the government should take in response to the series of reports by the Globe based on leaked top-secret documents from CSIS, Tung also said it’s vital that a foreign agent registry be established.

“There is a public outcry for proposing legislation that requires foreign agents to be registered. This is very important to prevent some spies and infiltration activities in the country,” he said.

Gabriel Yiu is an award-winning commentator from Hong Kong. (Courtesy of Gabriel Yiu)

“This [legislation] is clearly overdue, and there’s no need to wait any longer. Both the ruling and the opposition parties have proposed it.”

Yiu, who moved to Canada in the early 1990s from Hong Kong, agreed with the need to set up a foreign agent registry. But he said that other existing legal tools could also be implemented to fight foreign influence, such as prosecuting individuals who made illegal contributions to certain candidates favoured by Beijing.

Yiu said no amount of foreign interference in Canada should be tolerated.

“Even if just one MP who cannot be elected because of foreign interference—this is a very serious matter,” he said, pointing to Chiu’s case.

Global News reported last November that China provided illegal funding to 11 candidates in the 2019 election, while a recent Globe report citing national security sources said Chinese diplomats encouraged some donors to contribute to certain candidates who later illegally received part of the contribution back from political campaigns.

Josie Yang contributed to this report.