Sam Cooper;

According to The Bureau’s analysis of prior CSIS reporting, comments by Chiang—a former police officer in the Markham area—reflect a longstanding pattern of election interference by the People’s Republic of China in Canada, including the use of Chinese-language media in Toronto, operating under consular influence, to amplify pro-Beijing narratives and promote candidates perceived as sympathetic to the Chinese Communist Party.

Former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole suggested Saturday that the riding of Markham–Unionville, where Paul Chiang unseated incumbent Conservative Bob Saroya in 2021, was among several successfully targeted by Beijing’s interference operations—part of what he says weakened key Conservative campaigns and ultimately contributed to his resignation as party leader.

Chiang, the sitting Member of Parliament and a candidate for re-election, was quoted in Ming Pao suggesting individuals could “claim the one-million-dollar bounty” placed by Hong Kong authorities on Conservative candidate Joe Tay—by bringing Tay to the Chinese consulate in Toronto. According to reporting, Chiang also remarked that Tay’s criminal charge under Hong Kong’s national security law would cause a “great controversy” if Tay were elected to Parliament, before issuing his bounty comment to laughter among the gathered Chinese journalists.

Chiang issued a brief apology after the remarks surfaced on Thursday. But the backlash has only intensified, with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre accusing Chiang of echoing Chinese Communist Party repression—and Mark Carney of turning a blind eye.

“Liberal MP and candidate Paul Chiang’s heinous call to turn over a Canadian citizen to the authoritarian regime in Beijing in return for a Chinese Communist Party bounty is no accident—it reflects the Liberals’ long-standing mockery and neglect of national security for their own partisan gain,” Poilievre said Saturday.

“Carney is weak and compromised by money his company owes Beijing. His silence on these deplorable comments says it all. Carney must fire Paul Chiang as a candidate.”

Veteran democracy activist Cheuk Kwan, co-chair of the Toronto Association for Democracy in China, surfaced Chiang’s remarks Friday and called for the MP to resign.

“This is shocking. Mr. Chiang openly encouraged people to assist in China interference and transnational repression,” Kwan said. “Rather than protecting Canadians, he betrayed them and jeopardized their safety.”

Kwan noted that the bounty on Tay was issued by the Hong Kong Police Force under its new national security laws, because Tay runs a YouTube channel in Canada that is critical of governance imposed from Beijing.

I’m old enough to remember the Chinese police station story that quietly died away.

Lilley: Carney is, for far, standing by Chiang’s call to hand over a Canadian citizen to China.