Thread by @joannachiu

NEW: Chinese interference in Canada? Chinese Canadians say they reported it for years — and were ignored.

"These are not secrets." For the Chinese diaspora, it's been common knowledge. Here's what they say you should know. thestar.com/politics/feder… @torontostar #cdnpoli

This is 72-year-old Cheuk Kwan. He started witnessing and reporting incidents of Chinese government interference in the early 90s.

“But every time we spoke to the government, it felt like we were putting on a show... Nothing was done." thestar.com/politics/feder… #cdnpoli #csis

Since 1979, the United Front has been an official bureau in China that employs thousands of agents to pursue the CCP's global interests. My book, "China Unbound", references a lot of Beijing's own documents to explain their foreign interference activities. joannachiu.com

Chinese Canadians tell me they have sent many tips, including copies of email correspondence, to RCMP and CSIS over many years.

They mirror the content of the spy agency leaks, including China's support for certain political candidates and cash donations. thestar.com/politics/feder…

This is Sheng Xue. She fled Beijing after the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989.

Advocacy in Canada for Chinese human rights used to be popular, but Beijing threatened family members back in China to try to stifle their activities.

“It was very effective."
thestar.com/politics/feder…

Sheng Xue did not bow to pressure, despite being arrested for trying to visit her family. She has been the target of an online smear campaign since 2014.

She went to police to plead for help. She was told to change her phone number. Reporting in NYT: nytimes.com/2019/04/01/wor…

This is Mehmet Tohti. He fled China at the age of 26 and settled in Canada, where he became a prominent resource for governments on the Uyghur genocide.

He told me Chinese police called him earlier this year.

"Your sisters are dead." thestar.com/politics/feder…
@TorontoStar

I told @PnPCBC @DavidWCochrane today that we need to reframe the conversation about the CSIS leaks as "secrets" that only a public inquiry could air.

We've been hearing from Chinese, Uyghur and Tibetan Canadians all along.

Read: thestar.com/politics/feder…

For global context, I focused on the experiences and expertise of Chinese citizens and diaspora in my book as well. Thank you for everyone who has been recommending #ChinaUnbound in recent days for needed context in our political conversations. amazon.ca/China-Unbound-…

Thanks @garnetfraser @keixote @alisonmah for support and edits. The team @TorontoStar following this story is Jeremy Nuttall, @StephanieLevitz @tondamac @aballinga thestar.com/politics/feder…

Watch live: Justin Trudeau asks committee to launch new study of foreign interference in Canada’s elections thestar.com/politics/feder…

For a ground-breaking study of elite influence operations by China’s little-known Ministry of State Security, read @alexjoske. amazon.ca/Spies-Lies-Chi…

Trudeau spoke from 55:15 on whether he ignored reports from Chinese Canadians (like @MehmetTohti @ShengXue_ca).

"I have heard regularly from Chinese Canadians who are pointing out that the first targets of foreign interference...are Chinese Canadians."

For non-Canadians scratching their heads, here’s a summary of the last few weeks of news on China’s alleged foreign interference in Canada by @nadineyousif_ @BBCWorld bbc.com/news/world-us-…

Watch: Under fire over claims that China meddled in Canadian elections, Trudeau announced multiple investigations into foreign election interference and the appointment of a special rapporteur. I joined @DavidWCochrane @PnPCBC to analyze what this means: