After allegations of political meddling caused controversy in Canada, the country has decided to expel a Chinese diplomat named Zhao Wei. Beijing, on the other hand, has vehemently denied any election interference, describing the claims as "purely baseless and defamatory."
On Monday, Ottawa announced the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat who was accused of trying to intimidate a Canadian lawmaker who was critical of Beijing. This set off a new diplomatic spat between the two countries.
In a statement labeling the diplomat "persona non grata," Foreign Minister Melanie Joly stated, "We will not tolerate any form of foreign interference in our internal affairs," as quoted by news agency AFP.
She stated, "we remain firm in our resolve that defending our democracy is of the utmost importance," adding that Canadian foreign diplomats "have been warned that if they engage in this type of behavior, they will be sent home."
The move bothered currently stressed Sino-Canadian relations, with China "firmly denouncing" the choice it said depended on "unfounded" allegations and promising repercussions.
China accused Canada of "deliberately undermining relations" with its second-largest trading partner in a statement that was published on the website of its Ottawa embassy. China claimed that it had submitted an official protest regarding violations of international law and diplomatic norms.
A person with knowledge of the situation said that Zhao Wei, the official at the Chinese consulate in Toronto who is at the center of this whole thing, has been told to leave Canada in five days.
His removal followed an outcry drove by parliamentarian Michael Chong over charges uncovered by nearby media that China's knowledge office had wanted to target Chong and his family members in Hong Kong with sanctions for casting a ballot in February 2021 for a movement censuring Beijing's behavior in the Xinjiang locale as slaughter.
According to a Canadian Security Intelligence Service document that used the acronym "PRC" in its title, this was "almost certainly meant to make an example of this MP and deter others from taking anti-PRC positions."
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