Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government has not decided to remove a Chinese Communist agent who is accused of targeting a Conservative MP and his family just yet.. Michael ChongMichael Chong .On Friday, when China responded to the allegation, Trudeau said at the Liberal convention in Ottawa that deciding to expel a diplomat from another nation is a significant decision for a government..READ MORE China warns Canada not to take 'wrong and dangerous path' over Chinese Communist agent.“This is a big step, not a small step, to expel a diplomat. So it's one that has to be taken with due consideration on all the potential impacts and all the very clear messages that it will send,” Trudeau told reporters..Trudeau's comments were made while a Chinese government spokesperson strongly opposed their diplomat's involvement in any malfeasance..“We deplore and reject the Canadian side's groundless smear of the Chinese diplomatic and consular mission in Canada, which is merely fulfilling its duties,” said Mao Ning, a China foreign ministry spokesperson..Ning said the allegations of China targeting Chong are a “fabricated story” and a “political stunt.” .On Thursday, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly called for a meeting with China's Canadian ambassador, Cong Peiwu..In a statement, Peiwu said “Should the Canadian side continue to make provocations, China will play along every step of the way until the very end.”.Trudeau said a decision “in due course” regarding the Chinese Communist agent would be made after examining all the information “very carefully.”.Chong said he learned Wednesday claims of China targeting his family in Hong Kong were shared with the prime minister's national security advisor in 2021..Trudeau claims the information never reached a political level and directed Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) to inform him of all future threats against MPs..“It's obvious now that those processes need to be changed,” said Trudeau..“Information that was released on Monday through the media never made it to me, to my office or to the minister at the time. Going forward, such information would absolutely have to be raised to the highest political levels.”.Chong said earlier this week Trudeau's national security advisor was also informed about threats to other MPs without identifying the other targeted MPs..When asked in French if other federal politicians were targeted in 2021, when Chong and other MPs faced sanctions from China for criticizing its human rights record, Trudeau did not give a direct answer..Trudeau only reiterated that any such threats would automatically escalate to the highest political level in the future.
