According to recent data from the department of Foreign Affairs, China has more “diplomats” assigned to Montréal than any other country, including France. .According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the House Affairs committee has expressed concerns about the unusually high presence of Chinese envoys in Canada..The most recent report Diplomatic, Consular and Other Representatives in Canada released by the department, states that 138 Chinese diplomats have been accredited throughout the country, with 18 located in Montréal. .China did not have any representatives in Montréal until the opening of its consulate in 2011..During a hearing held on Feb. 7, the House Affairs committee was informed that the number of Chinese diplomats in Canada appeared to be higher than in other countries..“I counted up the number of diplomats accredited to Canada by various countries,” testified Charles Burton, a former Canadian envoy to China. .“It does make me wonder.”.New figures updated this past March 31 show the list of 138 Chinese diplomats compared to 161 Americans, 60 Japanese, 48 Mexicans, 38 Germans, 35 Indians, 33 French, 33 Saudis, 31 Russians, 30 South Koreans, 28 Filipinos, 27 Britons, 24 Italians, 18 Australians, 15 Cubans, 24 Ukrainians, 12 Vietnamese and five New Zealanders..Out of all the countries, including French-speaking nations, no other country had a larger number of diplomats in Montréal. .The Chinese presence in the city, with a total of 18 diplomats, surpassed the number of envoys from Switzerland (four), France (five), Belgium (eight), and Haiti (13)..Parliamentary investigations into foreign funding of the Montréal-based Trudeau Foundation found local Chinese consulate staff attended a private meeting to finalize a $140,000 donation from a Beijing contributor affiliated with China Central Television. .“Beijing had consular officials who were part of the deal from the beginning,” Conservative MP Michael Barrett (Leeds-Grenville, ON) told a May 3 hearing of the Commons Ethics committee..“We have access to documents that demonstrate there were consular officials in the meeting,” said Barrett..During his testimony, Prime Minister’s brother Alexandre Trudeau stated that the staff from China's consulate played a minor role in the transaction. .Trudeau claimed that the Chinese diplomats offered “translation services.” However, MPs ridiculed this claim, questioning such a role in the donation process..“Your assertion that Beijing diplomats were present at meetings with the Foundation in the negotiation of the donation to provide translation services to the donors is completely unbelievable,” said Conservative MP Michael Cooper (St. Albert-Edmonton, AB). .“It simply is absurd.”.The Commons on May 8 voted 170 to 150 to round up Communist Chinese agents suspected of clandestine activities in Canada. The department of Foreign Affairs that same day expelled Zhao Wei, a diplomat at China’s Toronto consul, for attempting to harass Conservative MP Michael Chong (Wellington-Halton Hills, ON)..In her testimony on March 9 at the House Affairs committee, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly confirmed that another Chinese diplomat had been denied a visa to enter Canada last year. .“I have instructed my department to never shy away from denying a visa if it is for a political operative linked to the Communist Party of China,” said Joly.
