Canada lawmaker Han Dong denies report he advised Chinese diplomat, but resigns from Trudeau’s party

Canadian lawmaker Han Dong said he will defend himself against ‘absolutely untrue claims’ after Global News report
Report alleged he advised a Chinese diplomat in 2021 that Beijing should hold off freeing two imprisoned Canadians

Canada

Agencies

Published: 1:01pm, 23 Mar 2023

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A Chinese-Canadian lawmaker, cited in unconfirmed media reports as having ties to the Beijing government, forcefully denied those allegations but announced his resignation as a member of the Liberal Party led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Trudeau last month denied a media report the party had been warned by the country’s spy agency to drop Han Dong, a Toronto-area member of parliament, as a Liberal candidate ahead of the 2019 election because he had Beijing’s support.

On Wednesday a new story by Global News, a Canadian broadcaster, reported Han had advised a senior Chinese diplomat in February 2021 that Beijing should hold off freeing two Canadians held there under espionage charges.

Global News said it got the information from national security sources it didn’t name.

Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig returned to Canada in September 2021 after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was released from house arrest in Canada.

“I did nothing to cause them any harm. Like everyone in this house, I worked hard and advocated for their interest,” Han told parliament after the Global News report.

Han will remain in Canada’s parliament as an independent member with no party affiliation.

Trudeau’s office did not immediately comment.

Han’s resignation comes after a series of reports that alleged Trudeau received intelligence briefings on Chinese attempts to meddle in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections, which his Liberal Party won.

China has denied all allegations of interference, saying it has no interest in meddling with Canada’s internal affairs. It has called the allegations “defamatory”.

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Trudeau has so far resisted calls for a public inquiry into the matter, but has instead appointed a “special rapporteur” to examine all the evidence and decide whether an inquiry is warranted.

Earlier this week, Trudeau bowed to pressure from the opposition and agreed to allow his top aide to testify before a parliamentary committee probing alleged Chinese election interference.

“What has been reported is false and I will defend myself against these absolutely untrue claims,” Han said after saying he would sit as an independent in parliament and leave the Liberal caucus.

“Sitting (in) the government caucus is a privilege and my presence there may be seen by some as a conflict of duty and the wrong place to be as an independent investigation pursues the facts,” he said.

Reuters and Bloomberg