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Chinese defector warns Canada over Beijing's spying
Softwar
6/7/2007 4:11:32 PM
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Chinese defector warns Canada over Beijing's spying
OTTAWA (AFP) - A former Chinese diplomat who defected two years ago warned Canada on Wednesday of widespread spying by Beijing and its use of front groups to douse opposition to its communist regime.
Chen Yonglin said the Chinese embassy in Ottawa is using its influence with the immigrant Chinese community to work against pro-democracy activists, Tibetan and Taiwanese groups, as well as the spiritual group Falungong, which is outlawed in China.
"The political section of the Chinese embassy in Ottawa is monitoring and collecting information about dissident groups in Canada as part of a widespread campaign to crack down on pro-democracy and religious groups who have voiced opposition to the communist regime in Beijing," he told AFP, after meeting with members of a parliamentary public safety committee.
"The same went on in Australia," he said.
Chen, 39, formerly first secretary at China's consulate-general in Australia, spent four years working in Sydney before he abandoned his post in May 2005, saying he could no longer help his government repress dissidents living there.
He also claimed that Beijing had some 1,000 spies or informers in Australia and that he feared persecution if he was sent home. He was granted a protection visa in July 2005.
"My warnings to Canada are mostly based on my experiences in Australia," he conceded, noting he has spread this same message to many European countries.
Canada's spy chief Jim Judd has said almost half of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service's counter-espionage efforts are focused on Chinese spies.
Beijing has claimed Chen's bid for political asylum in Australia was made for personal gain and accused him of lying in his application to the Australian government.
China banned Falungong in 1999, accusing it of attempting to undermine Beijing's international relations, but they are politically active in Canada.
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