The Chinese consulate in Montreal on Monday denounced what it calls attempts to “blacken” its staff, following the publication of new revelations by the Globe and Mail on suspicions of espionage which weigh on the diplomatic mission installed rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest.
The English-language daily unveiled the details of a “top secret” report from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the federal agency responsible for counterintelligence and the protection of national security. The report dated February 2, 2022 would directly implicate the Chinese consulate in Montreal, which would be involved in the surveillance operations of Canadians who travel to China.
According to Globe and Mail, the report details how, in December 2021, Zhang Heng, then acting as acting consul general in Montreal, asked the visa office at the consulate to provide the names of Canadian MPs, senior government officials and business executives who were planning a trip to China. Some of them were “work targets”, a member of the visa office reportedly said.
Zhang Heng is still listed as a diplomat stationed in Montreal, now as vice-consul general, according to records from the Quebec Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie.
The CSIS report that journalists say they have seen summarizes some communications from diplomats on Canadian soil, which seems to indicate that Canadian intelligence services have intercepted the communications of Beijing officials, that they have access to communications intercepted by an allied country or that they benefit from informants who report to them the content of internal exchanges.
The Globe also claims that another CSIS report dated December 2021 details the range of approach techniques deployed by the Chinese regime to compromise Canadian “targets” while traveling on Chinese soil. There is talk of cyberattacks, bribes and sexual traps aimed at seducing the traveler.
The diplomatic mission vigorously denied the allegations.
“The article attempting to attack and vilify the Consulate General and its consular officers is completely unfounded. We express our strong protest and firm opposition,” said a spokesperson for the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Montreal, in a statement sent to The Press.
“The Chinese Consulate General in Montreal always performs its functions in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the Consular Agreement between the Chinese and Canadian governments. It issues official documents under relevant laws and regulations, and works to promote cooperation and friendly exchanges between China and its consular district in various fields. We hope the media can actively play a constructive role in this regard,” the message continues.
