Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree has highlighted the need to address deficiencies in Canada’s security screening following the apprehension of a Canadian NATO intern in Belgium on espionage charges.
Anandasangaree underwent rigorous questioning from Members of Parliament at the House of Commons public safety and national security committee regarding how the intern obtained security clearance from Ottawa to serve at the military alliance.
The intern was detained by Belgian authorities on July 24, accused of spying for a third country and being associated with a criminal organization. Sources, including Reuters, have indicated that the suspected third country is China.
The minister disclosed that he has requested the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) to review the incident and is presently examining their recommendations.
Anandasangaree revealed that around 200,000 screenings are conducted annually by government agencies, with the assistance of CSIS and the RCMP.
He acknowledged that while the screening process has a commendable track record, there are identifiable gaps that necessitate improvement.
Despite Belgian courts not publicly disclosing defendants in criminal investigations prior to trial, a CBC News investigation disclosed the accused spy as Biwei Zhang, a systems engineer with an economics background who interned at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium. Zhang also goes by the professional name Claire Zhang and uses the name Catina Zhang on her Facebook profile.
In 2023, the Public Service Commission of Canada found Zhang guilty of fraud for applying to the Canada Border Services Agency under different names and emails without clarifying the multiple applications.
CSIS mentioned to the committee that working at NATO typically requires a minimum secret level clearance, if not higher.
The committee’s inquiry, initiated by the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois, seeks to ascertain whether warning signs or red flags were overlooked by Canada in this case.
Zhang’s previous employment history includes roles as an economist at Statistics Canada and as a systems engineer at the Canadian Space Agency.
The Chinese Embassy in Canada has vehemently denied allegations that Zhang was acting on behalf of Beijing, and she remains in custody in Belgium.