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Canadian Media: Former Canadian Politician Sides with Beijing to Blame Hong Kong Protesters

A Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail, reported that Michael Chan (陈国治) has repeatedly aligned himself with the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) view to blame Hong Kong Protesters. Chan was a former Canadian MPP and Ontario cabinet minister. He served between 2007 and 2018 and was in charge of the province’s immigration and international trade.

Chinanews, a Chinese state-backed news site, recently interviewed Chan. He condemned Hong Kong protesters, claimed there is foreign force behind them, and applauded the Hong Kong police “for showing restraint during the crisis.”

“I have been thinking, why are these young people so radical, so passionate [and] committed to do these things? Also, why are there so many people?”

Chan said another party instigated and brainwashed the protesters. “If there were no deeply hidden organization in this, or deeply hidden push from the outside, there would be no way that such large-scale turmoil could happen in Hong Kong in just a few months.”

Chan also said the violence in the movement in Hong Kong has been severe and if there were similar unrest in Western countries, the police would have “already fired bullets toward the crowds.”

While protesters have accused Hong Kong police of an excessive use of force, Chan stated, “It is just the opposite.” He said the restraint and courage of the Hong Kong police should be praised.

This was not the first time Chan publicly supported China’s stand on the Hong Kong issue. Last month, Chan spoke at a rally in Markham, Ontario, expressing support for the Hong Kong police, the government, and Beijing.

Some Chinese Canadians said Chan’s remarks sound like the Chinese regime’s propaganda. “It’s very clear that he is not using Canadian values nor is he using the universal values of Western democracies in making all these comments. Rather, he abides by the values of the Chinese Communist Party. That is troublesome.”

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) worried that Chan might have been under Beijing’s influence in the past.

In 2010, a senior CSIS official met Ontario’s premier Dalton McGuinty to formally caution him about Chan’s conduct and the risk of foreign influence. McGuinty dismissed the concerns as baseless and kept Chan in the cabinet. The next Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne also dismissed the concerns.

Sources:
1. Chinanews, September 1, 2019
http://www.chinanews.com/ga/2019/09-01/8943837.shtml
2. The Globe and Mail, September 15, 2019
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-former-ontario-minister-sides-with-beijing-pins-hong-kong-protests-on/