The Chinese consulate has allegedly advised the business community to disengage with Canadian Member of Parliament (MP) Jenny Kwan, according to a recent directive brought to her attention. Kwan testified on September 18th that she had a lengthy conversation with an individual who informed her about this directive. However, no specific date was provided regarding when the Chinese consulate issued it.
Kwan, who has been serving as the MP for Vancouver East since 2015, stated that she noticed a significant change in attitudes towards her within the Chinese diaspora community in 2019. She experienced a decline in invitations to community events after attending a rally outside the Chinese consulate and criticizing their passage of a national security law. This law was condemned by Canada and other democratic nations due to its strict measures against democratic rights.
While Kwan acknowledges that some organizations engage in valuable community work and attending their events provides outreach opportunities, she expressed concerns about participating in United Front-affiliated activities. She worries that such participation may inadvertently validate these organizations and potentially portray her as being involved in foreign interference without realizing it.
During her testimony on September 18th, Kwan revealed that she had requested top-secret security clearance from party leader Jagmeet Singh to review the classified version of the NSICOP report. However, her request was denied by the federal government on grounds of not having a “need to know.” Kwan argued that parliamentarians have the right to protection and should be informed about foreign interference activities if they are unaware of them.
Jenny Kwan has raised concerns about being advised against by the Chinese consulate within Vancouver’s business community. She believes this advice is linked to her criticism of China’s national security law and fears unintentionally supporting United Front-affiliated organizations involved in foreign interference activities without realizing it. Additionally, she expressed disappointment at being denied access to classified information related to potential security issues affecting parliamentarians’ privileges and safety from foreign interference activities.
