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The findings of The Fifth Estate’s investigation state that the Canadian government is assisting China in pursuing fugitive Chinese citizens living abroad. Photo/CBC/The Fifth Estate
OTTAWA – The Canadian government has provided assistance to Chinese law enforcement authorities in pursuing fugitive Chinese citizens living abroad, and Beijing has ensured Ottawa’s continued cooperation through a number of measures, including trade bartering.
These are the findings of an investigation by The Fifth Estate belonging to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) news agency.
The Fifth Estate said that in Canada, such aid is sometimes the result of quid pro quo deals with China, involving people with direct knowledge of the relationship, including two former Canadian ambassadors to China.
Former Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) operations officer in British Columbia Calvin Chrustie said in an interview that he received direction “from the highest levels in Ottawa” to “assist and cooperate” with Chinese officials regarding “a well-known fugitive they were targeting in the Vancouver area ”.
Chrustie said he refused to facilitate a meeting of Chinese officials who wanted to interview the fugitive, and persuaded the man to voluntarily return to China to face charges.
Investigation findings from The Fifth Estate, quoted by ANI, Tuesday (24/10/2023), stated that China had ensured Canada’s continued cooperation by bartering trade, offering assistance to fight illegal drugs and negotiating the release of arbitrarily detained Canadians. -authority in China.
FYI, The Fifth Estate is CBC News’ award-winning investigative series.
Veteran Toronto immigration lawyer Lorne Waldman, who represents a number of people now in Canada and wanted by Chinese authorities, said that, “Our economic interests are driving this.”
“We turned a blind eye to the lack of rule of law in China and turned a blind eye to the fact that we should be more skeptical of evidence coming from China. And as time went on, we turned a blind eye to the fact that Chinese agents were operating in Canada,” he said .