China condemns news about Chinese journalists spying in Canada

The Chinese Embassy is Canada has strongly condemned a report by a Montreal-based newspaper in which it claims that intelligence services has been tracking some Chinese journalists in Canada over suspicions of espionage.

Yang Yundong, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy, said that such fabricated news mislead Canadian people and undermine ties between China and Canada.

La Presse, a French-language daily newspaper, published an article on May 1 titled "Des journalistes ou des espions chinois à Ottawa?" (Chinese journalists or spies in Ottawa?), in which it claims that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service has been keeping tabs on a certain number of Chinese correspondents from Xinhua news agency and People's Daily in Canada.

The author, Joel-Denis Bellavance, argued that these journalists have been collecting information for the Chinese government, taking advantage of their privileged access to high-profile meetings in Canada. He backed his allegation with quotes from unnamed sources, which he claimed have worked with former Prime Minister Steven Harper or are in the higher ranks of the intelligence services in the country.

"We have noticed a few days ago that La Presse reported about resident Chinese journalists in Canada committing espionage against Canada. We are shocked by and strongly condemn the despicable action of fabricating lies," Yang said.

Yang stressed that Chinese journalists in recent years have positively reported stories about Canada's politics, economy, society and culture, enhancing Chinese people's understanding and knowledge of Canada and fostering friendly sentiments toward Canadian people.

"We believe that the Canadian people will not be deceived by such lies, and the two countries' governments will not stop pushing forward the development of friendly bilateral cooperation," the Chinese official said.

Those who attempt to undermine Chinese-Canadian relations through fake news are doomed to fail, he added.