OTTAWA: A Chinese-Canadian lawmaker, cited in unconfirmed media reports as having ties to the Beijing government, forcefully denied those allegations but announced his resignation as a member of the Liberal Party led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Trudeau last month denied a media report the party had been warned by the country’s spy agency to drop Han Dong, a Toronto-area member of parliament, as a Liberal candidate ahead of the 2019 election because he had Beijing’s support.
On Wednesday a new story by Global News, a Canadian broadcaster, reported Han had advised a senior Chinese diplomat in February 2021 that Beijing should hold off freeing two Canadians held there under espionage charges.
Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig returned to Canada in September 2021 after Chinese executive Meng Wanzhou was released from house arrest in Canada.