The Canadian government on Monday announced the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat it accused of trying to intimidate a Chinese-critical Canadian MP, throwing the two countries into a sharp new diplomatic crisis that Beijing blames on Ottawa.

“We will not tolerate any foreign interference in our internal affairs,” Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie said in a press release announcing the expulsion of diplomat Zhao Wei, who has been declared persona non grata in Canada.

China, Canada’s second-largest trading partner, condemned the decision, accusing Ottawa of “sabotaging” an already highly strained bilateral relationship.

“China will take strict countermeasures and Canada will bear all the consequences,” the Chinese Embassy in Canada said in a press release yesterday.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, the statement continues, is “grossly violating not only international law, but fundamental rules of bilateral relations.”

“The decision was made after careful consideration of all factors,” the Canadian Foreign Office said, citing Canada’s “protection of democracy.”

“Intimidation”

At the same time, China has already resorted to harsh language after the country’s ambassador was summoned to the Canadian Foreign Ministry last week, who announced “slander” and “defamation” on the Canadian side.

Zhao Wei, who worked at the Chinese consulate in Toronto, will be deported within the next five days, according to a source familiar with the case.

Ottawa accuses him of being at the center of an effort to intimidate a right-wing Canadian MP. Michael Chong and his family have come under pressure from China over criticism of Beijing by an opposition politician, especially on the Uyghur issue.

For weeks, Mr. Trudeau’s government has come under increasing pressure to raise its tone against China, which it accuses of interfering in Canada. The revelations in the press raised the pressure one step further.

“There was (…) a real political danger for the Trudeau government. So she decided to take a chance and show off her muscles,” explains Genevieve Tellier, a professor at the University of Ottawa.

“Financial revenge”?

Relations between Beijing and Ottawa have already soured in recent years, especially after the 2018 arrest of the daughter of the founder and chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei and China’s retaliatory jailing of two Canadians.

Although all three were eventually released, tensions have not subsided, with Beijing criticizing Ottawa for aligning its China policy with that of Washington, and Canadian authorities frequently alleging Chinese meddling in Canadian affairs.

In particular, China is accused of attempting to interfere in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections. A series of articles published in the Canadian media alluded to the secret financing and involvement in the campaign of some candidates. Allegations that Beijing “strongly” denied.

Canada has gradually hardened its position in recent months, ousting Chinese companies from the rare earths industry in the name of “national security”, publicly denouncing Beijing’s treatment of the Muslim Uyghur minority, unveiling its strategy for the Asian periphery – the Pacific, with the main goal of countering Chinese influence. ..

“Now we should expect the expulsion of at least one Canadian diplomat, if not more,” Rorom Sandal, a professor at the School of Public Studies in Moncton, eastern Canada, and a China expert, told AFP.

“Beijing could also retaliate with economic measures,” the professor added. “Moreover, because it will also be a way to send a message to other countries that are talking about Chinese interference in their internal affairs.”

Source: RES-IPE