Following a Global News report alleging that Liberal MP Han Dong is an affiliate in China's election interference networks, the MP has dismissed the allegations as "inaccurate and irresponsible."."As a Member of Parliament, I have the utmost regard for the integrity of our democratic institutions and electoral processes," Dong said in a statement on Monday.."I strongly reject the insinuations in media reporting that allege I have played a role in offshore interference and these processes and will defend myself vigorously against such inaccurate and irresponsible claims that come from an unverified and anonymous source.".According to the article posted on Friday, Dong is one of at least 11 Toronto-area riding candidates that were supported by China in the 2019 election, according to security officials. Three anonymous sources claimed that Canadian Security Intelligence Service found Beijing preferred Han Dong to the previous candidate for the riding of Don Valley North, as the Consulate was "not pleased with Geng Tan’s performance.".CSIS was also concerned about the Liberal Party’s nomination process for Dong, alleging that Chinese international students with fake addresses were bussed into the riding and coerced to vote in Dong’s favour. The report also suggested CSIS suggested to the Liberals that Dong should not be to run, but those warning were ignored..Dong rejected the premise of the Global News' story in the statement, claiming that all the "procedures and processes related to my campaign and political career have been continually transparently and publicly reported as required.".He added that his nomination and campaign teams found "no indication" of any irregularities or compliance issues regarding his candidacy or election.."Safeguarding Canada's democracy is integral to public service. I will support all fact based efforts from parliamentarians to investigate alleged offshore interference and have called upon, look forward to refuting these anonymous and unverified allegations," he said..Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also came to Dong's defence during a press conference on Monday, saying Dong was an "exceptional MP" and that Canada should welcome 1.7 million people in the Chinese diaspora to run for public office..“Han Dong is an outstanding member of our team and suggestions that he is somehow not loyal to Canada should not be entertained,” Trudeau said. “We are extraordinarily lucky and happy to have a Member of Parliament like Han Dong, in our midst, serving his community serving our country, alongside Chinese Canadian MPs from different parts of the country.”.Trudeau also rejected the accusation that CSIS warned the Liberals not to let Dong run for office, but also said it should not be up to the intelligence agency to choose who becomes an MP. “In a free democracy, It is not up to unelected security officials to dictate to political parties who can or cannot run,” he said..When a reporter asked for further clarification on whether CSIS warned the Liberal Party about Dong, Trudeau raised the issue of Anti-Asian racism leading to people questioning the loyalty of Chinese-Canadians.
