Minister denies allegations of too-close ties with China
An Ontario cabinet minister is fighting suggestions there is an open CSIS investigation against him.
Michael Chan, minister of citizenship, immigration and international trade for the province, was the subject of a 2010 Canadian Security Intelligence Service probe into foreign influence and the government of the day was cautioned he might hold too-close ties to the Chinese government, the Globe and Mail reported Tuesday.
Premier Kathleen Wynne has defended Chan in recent days, calling the reported concerns “baseless.” On Wednesday Peter MacKay, federal foreign affairs minister, said the investigation is “ongoing.”
Chan refutes all allegations against him in an open letter released Wednesday that calls the Globe story “a blend of innuendo and half-suggestions.”
He said the front-page story implies there’s new information and refers to him as a “threat.”
“Although there are no specific allegations, provocative words like treason and espionage are used for no reason. There is a persistent theme that there is a perceived risk that I am under undue influence and that I am an unwitting dupe of a foreign government,” he writes. “This is offensive and totally false. This personal attack is deeply offensive to me and to my family.”
Chan also implies the fiveyear-old story and subsequent reaction could dissuade other immigrants from participating in public office.
“I would like to continue to encourage newer Canadians to consider taking an active role in public life. This is essential for our society to progress,” he writes. “They should not be discouraged by the fear of allegations that the everyday actions of newer Canadians need to be minutely examined to determine if they somehow have lesser loyalties to this country.”
“I came to this country as a young man. Canada welcomed me. While I am proud of my Chinese heritage, I am a Canadian first and foremost,” he writes.
The Globe and Mail story alleges that CSIS in 2010 was concerned Chan had a personal relationship with the then-consul general of China in Toronto. In a meeting with then-premier Dalton McGuinty’s staff, CSIS warned the Ontario government that Michael Chan had “unusually close ties to Chinese officials.”
The minister refuted those claims then and in the Globe story this week.
Chan is a relatively low-profile but integral member of Wynne’s cabinet who has helped lead Ontario trade missions to China and is said to be a powerhouse fundraiser for the Liberal Party.
Wynne said as much Wednesday in her second statement on the subject in two days.