Justin Trudeau Faces Crisis Over Chinese Political Interference in Canada

A Canadian lawmaker has stepped down from Justin Trudeau's governing Liberal Party following allegations he lobbied Chinese diplomats to increase the period that two Canadian nationals were being held prisoner in China for partisan political gain. The incident is the latest in a series of rows over Chinese influence in advanced Western democracies, amid talk of a 'New Cold War' between Beijing and Washington. Global News alleges that Dong suggested the Chinese should delay the release of Kovrig and Spavor to a time less politically convenient for the opposition Conservative Party of Canada, which has pushed for a harder line in Ottawa's relations with Beijing. A spokesperson for Wang Wenbin, the Chinese minister of foreign affairs, also denied any malpractice from Beijing. Trudeau, who described Dong in February as "An outstanding member of our team," is facing calls to launch a full public inquiry into Chinese interference. Australia was also rocked by a political scandal over Chinese influence in 2016 over Labor Senator Sam Dastyari's links with Huang Xiangmo, a donor with connections to the Chinese Communist Party. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese embassy in Canada for comment by email.