Independent MP Han Dong (Don Valley North, ON) stated that the allegations have portrayed him as "the face of Chinese foreign interference" in federal elections, as the Commission on Foreign Interference reported.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Dong was granted the opportunity on Monday to have standing at the China inquiry.“Mr. Dong says these allegations have made him the face of Chinese foreign interference,” wrote Justice Marie-Josée Hogue, head of the inquiry. Dong had a legitimate interest in attending the inquiry after being “accused of willingly participating in Chinese interference efforts,” she wrote.Dong, as a Liberal re-election candidate in 2021, maintained close relationships with the Chinese Consulate in Toronto, according to a May 23 First Report by cabinet rapporteur David Johnson. “He continued to maintain close relationships with the China Consulate at least through the 2021 election,” it said.Dong has consistently denied any wrongdoing. He abruptly resigned from the Liberal caucus on March 22, following a Global News report identifying him as a "willing affiliate in China's interference networks" dating back to 2019.Hogue stated on Monday that Dong is considered a key witness in the China inquiry.“Mr. Dong has a direct and substantial interest in the subject matter of the Commission,” wrote Hogue.“As someone who is the subject of some of the core allegations of foreign interference this Commission is tasked with investigating, I agree Mr. Dong has an obvious reputational interest in the Commission’s work. He is also uniquely situated to provide first-hand information about relevant events.”Public hearings for the China inquiry are set to begin in January. However, a specific date for the beginning of these hearings has not been confirmed.An initial report, scheduled for release on February 19, 2024, is anticipated to confirm the accounts provided by Canadian Security Intelligence Service whistleblowers. These accounts suggest that the cabinet had been regularly alerted to Chinese threats, primarily targeting Conservative MPs.A more comprehensive report explaining why candidates were not informed about threats is expected to be completed by December 31, 2024.“Foreign operatives even remotely involved are retired and back in Beijing,” Independent MP Kevin Vuong (Spadina-Fort York, ON) told the Commons on Monday. The inquiry “faces serious time constraints in issuing an interim report in February,” said Vuong.According to the department of foreign affairs, more than a quarter of the staff assigned to the Chinese Consulate in Toronto have been recalled to Beijing since the 2021 election.An August 8 report Diplomatic, Consular, and Other Representatives in Canada indicated that the number of Consulate staff had decreased from 38 to 28 members, a 26% reduction. However, the report did not provide a specific reason for this reduction.“This is not a partisan issue but an issue every single parliamentarian should be taking seriously,” Liberal MP Jennifer O’Connell (Pickering-Uxbridge, ON), parliamentary secretary for public safety, told the Commons on Monday. “We look forward to working with everyone in this place.”
