More co-operation and co-ordination between Canada and the U.S. is needed to combat foreign interference by China, Conservative MP Michael Chong told the United States Congress Tuesday.
Chong was invited to appear before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, as part of its study into "countering China鈥檚 global transnational repression campaign," to share his experience as a target of foreign interference by Beijing.
鈥淔oreign interference threatens our economy, our long term prosperity, social cohesion, our Parliament and our elections,鈥� Chong testified before the United States Congress in Washington, D.C. 鈥淚t requires a suite of measures to combat, including closer cooperation amongst allied democracies.鈥�
鈥淐anada must work toward a stronger defence and security partnership with the United States and allies,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e must look for every opportunity to strengthen this partnership to meet the challenge of rising authoritarianism and to preserve our fundamental freedoms, our democracy and the rule of law.鈥�
Chong鈥檚 testimony comes amid multiple reports in the last several months about the Chinese government allegedly and repeatedly targeting the MP and his family in retaliation for his condemnation of China鈥檚 treatment of Uyghur Muslims.
Commission chair U.S. Representative Christopher Smith called Beijing鈥檚 targeting of Chong 鈥渦nacceptable and outrageous overreach鈥� and said he and his colleagues were 鈥渁ppalled鈥� to learn of it.
Chong appeared before the commission solo, and was followed by a panel of experts. Witnesses were slated to discuss the tactics used by Beijing to interfere in other countries, including 鈥渢ransnational repression and its effects on diaspora and dissident communities in the United States, Canada and worldwide,鈥� according to Tuesday鈥檚 meeting notice.
Chong 鈥� who is also the Conservative foreign affairs critic 鈥� told the commission his experience is but one example of Beijing鈥檚 interference in Canada, while 鈥渕any, many other cases go unreported and unnoticed, and the victims suffer in silence.鈥�
During his testimony, he also repeated his desire to see the Canadian government implement a foreign agent registry 鈥� similar to those in Australia and the United States 鈥� which the Liberal government has said it will explore.
鈥淚 think one way in which we could better co-operate is (by) exchang(ing) information on legislative best models to see what works and what doesn't,鈥� Chong said. 鈥淲e have similar judicial systems in our democracies, so that's one area of cooperation.鈥�
Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc told CTV鈥檚 Power Play host Vassy Kapelos last week that his government 鈥渉opes to proceed quickly鈥� on legislation to create a foreign agent registry as part of a series of measures to combat foreign interference.
The Liberal government has been discussing the possibility of such a registry since last December.
Witnesses before the commission Tuesday, including Chong, are also offering recommendations for 鈥渇urther congressional and administrative action and transatlantic cooperation,鈥� according to the commission.
Chong previously told 麻豆影视 members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are interested in hearing about his experience, "but also that of Hong Kong democracy activists and human rights activists who have been targeted here on Canadian soil by Beijing."
He also said American officials are interested in understanding the foreign interference situation in Canada as well as discussing solutions to counter it.
Chong told the commission Tuesday some of the ways China allegedly interferes in Canada, including by targeting diaspora groups and international students, launching disinformation campaigns on Chinese-language social media sites, running Chinese police stations abroad, and wrongfully detaining Canadians, for example, the two Michaels, Spavor and Kovrig.
Chong also detailed his recent experience being the target of a disinformation campaign, after a Canadian monitoring system detected a likely targeting him in May.
Last week, after several months of calls 鈥� prompted in part by the reporting about Chong being a target of Beijing 鈥� the Liberal government into foreign interference in Canadian democracy.
鈥淒emocracies are often slow to react to the treat of authoritarian states, which can act much more quickly, because it鈥檚 one person or a few people (who) rule,鈥� Chong said, in response to a question about whether the Canadian government has been supportive of him amid reports he鈥檚 been a target of Beijing.
Chong is not the only Canadian MP or past federal election candidate to allege they've been targeted by China. And this summer, a former RCMP officer was charged with foreign interference-related offences, after being accused of helping the Chinese government's efforts to "identify and intimidate an individual outside the scope of Canadian law."
"I think it's important to note that my case is one of many cases across Canada of many Canadians who suffer in silence," Chong previously told 麻豆影视. "My case happens to be a very high profile case, but there are many, many Canadians who have been targeted by Beijing here on Canadian soil."
With files from 麻豆影视鈥� Senior Digital Parliamentary Reporter Rachel Aiello
