Canadian MP Steps Down Amid Chinese Interference Claims
Canadian parliament member Han Dong has stepped down from his party’s caucus over allegations that he lobbied a Chinese diplomat to keep two Canadians imprisoned in China.
Facts
- Canadian parliament member Han Dong has stepped down from his party’s caucus over allegations that he lobbied a Chinese diplomat to keep two Canadians imprisoned in China.1
- Dong says that he will leave PM Justin Trudeau’s governing Liberal Party to sit as an independent, although he denies all allegations against him.2
- He came under fire after Global News published a report alleging that Dong spoke about Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig with a Chinese diplomat in Toronto in February 2021. The two men were detained in China for 1K days in apparent retaliation for the 2018 arrest of a Huawei executive.2
- Dong confirmed to Global News that he spoke with Han Tao, China's Toronto-based consul-general, but strongly denied the allegations against him. He told parliament that his resignation from the Liberals is to avoid the perception of a conflict of interest.3
- Dong’s resignation follows allegations that Trudeau received briefings on Chinese attempts to meddle in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections, which his Liberal party won. Trudeau has resisted calls for a public inquiry, instead appointing a “special rapporteur” to examine the evidence.4
- Trudeau’s government also determined that there was no “actionable evidence” of Dong lobbying Chinese diplomats after reviewing a CSIS transcript. Dong intends to launch a defamation lawsuit against Global News, whose report cited unnamed sources.5
Sources: 1BBC News, 2Yahoo News, 3Guardian, 4Independent, and 5The Globe and Mail.
Narratives
- Left narrative, as provided by Passage. Global News made some strong allegations against MP Han Dong, and its report has too many inconsistencies and lacks the proper sourcing to be considered legitimate. The media outlet couldn't even name its sources while claiming Mr. Dong and other candidates benefited from Chinese interference without any evidence. Global News can’t be trusted on this story.
- Right narrative, as provided by FT. Trudeau’s government is in a world of trouble in the wake of Global News' latest story about Han Dong’s alleged interference with Chinese diplomats. Global News leaked intelligence information, and there's clear evidence and motive for Dong to lobby China to keep two Canadians detained. Liberals are scared, which is why they are trying to undermine the entire story’s legitimacy.
