Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has said that the country was considering the expulsion of a China diplomat over reports of intimidating the relatives of a Canadian lawmaker in Hong Kong. Joly said her department was summoning China’s ambassador to a meeting to underline that Canada won’t tolerate such interference, Associated Press reported. But China has denied the accusations and urged Canada to stop 'this self-directed political farce, and not go further down the wrong and dangerous path'.
Chinese Ambassador Cong Peiwu denied any interference in a statement and warned against expelling its diplomats, Reuters reported.
“Once again, China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately stop this self-directed political farce, and not go further down the wrong and dangerous path. Should the Canadian side continue to make provocations, China will play along every step of the way until the very end,” Cong said, as quoted by media.
However, the Canad Foreign Minster said the intelligence agency report indicated that opposition Conservative lawmaker Michael Chong and his Hong Kong relatives were targeted after Chong criticised Beijing’s human rights record.
“We’re assessing different options including the expulsion of diplomats,” Joly said before a Parliament committee.
Even though Canada’s spy agency has not released details publicly, Chong has said the report identifies a Toronto-based diplomat as being part of the plot. Chong has been critical of Beijing’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang province. In 2021, Michael Chong sponsored a successful motion that declared China's treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority genocide.
“I cannot imagine the shock and concern of learning that your loved ones have been targeted in this way,” Joly said to Chong at the committee hearing. “There will be consequences.”
Chong said the diplomat should be on the first plane out of Canada and added, “It is inexplicable that this diplomat hasn’t been told to leave the country already.”