Decision on Chinese diplomat being made ‘very, very carefully:’ Trudeau
By The Canadian Press on May 7, 2023.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says any decision to expel a Chinese diplomat over alleged attempts to threaten a Conservative MP is being made “very, very carefully.” Trudeau says his government needs to consider potential Chinese backlash and what that would mean for the safety of Canadians and the prosperity of the country. Conservative MP Michael Chong discovered only last week after a report in the Globe and Mail that CSIS had information in 2021 that the Chinese government was looking at ways to intimidate him and his extended family in Hong Kong. Chong had sponsored a motion in the House of Commons labelling Beijing’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China a genocide. Trudeau has said CSIS did not tell anyone outside the spy agency about the threats, but Chong has said he was told the national security adviser knew about the information. Trudeau says CSIS now has a directive that any such information be elevated to the highest levels, even if it seems minor. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2023. 8-7
