CFU PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 9, 5:00 PM ET

Sabrina Sohail: sabrina@campaignforuyghurs.org

(650) 703-4523

www.campaignforuyghurs.org

Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) commends the Canadian government for taking a historic and decisive step against China’s global campaign of coercion and transnational repression by declaring Toronto-based Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei “persona non grata” and expelling him from the country. 

This move follows a report by the Canadian security service which revealed that Zhao had targeted and harassed Michael Chong, a Canadian lawmaker who sponsored a parliamentary resolution in 2021 that declared China’s treatment of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims as genocide. The Chinese government and its agents targeted MP Michael Chong and his family in Hong Kong in an attempt to “make an example” of MP Chong to prevent people from speaking out against the Chinese government.

The expulsion of Zhao Wei represents a significant milestone in the ongoing struggle against China’s repressive policies towards Uyghurs and the totalitarian regime’s attempts to coerce the rest of the world into silence on the Uyghur genocide.

An official press statement announcing the Chinese diplomat’s expulsion noted that the decision was taken in order to protect Canada’s democracy from foreign interference. The statement quoted Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly as saying, “We will not tolerate any form of foreign interference in our internal affairs. Diplomats in Canada have been warned that if they engage in this type of behavior, they will be sent home.”

Michael Chong, the lawmaker who sponsored the 2021 genocide resolution, praised the Canadian government for its action while stating that it should have been taken “years ago” and that by failing to act in a timely manner, Canada had become “somewhat of a playground for foreign interference threat activities.” “My hope is that this sends a clear message to authoritarian states that these kinds of activities are completely incompatible with being a diplomat in this country,” the lawmaker added.

“We commend the Canadian government for taking a strong stance against China’s attempts to interfere in Canada’s internal affairs. This incident shows once again that the Chinese government brazenly abuses international conventions that are in place to facilitate diplomacy to export its totalitarian regime. It also shows that even lawmakers are not immune from China’s transnational repression,” said Rushan Abbas, the executive director of CFU, in response to the expulsion of the Chinese diplomat who sought to intimidate MP Michael Chong.

“With this decision, the Canadian government has shown that it will stand up for democratic values and human rights. We hope that this will send a clear message to authoritarian states that such activities are simply not accepted in democratic societies and will not go unpunished,” Abbas noted.

CFU commends the Canadian government for expelling Zhao Wei and urges other countries to follow Canada’s example in standing up against China’s global campaign of transnational repression. The time has come for all democratic nations to take a firm stance against China’s attempts to undermine the democratic order of other countries.