Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree emphasized the need to address “gaps” in Canada’s security screening after a Canadian NATO intern was arrested in Belgium on espionage charges. Anandasangaree faced intense questioning from MPs on the House of Commons public safety and national security committee regarding how the intern obtained security clearance to work at the military alliance.
The intern was arrested by Belgian authorities on July 24, with allegations of spying for a third country, believed to be China, and being associated with a criminal organization. Anandasangaree disclosed that he has requested the RCMP and CSIS to investigate the matter and is currently reviewing their recommendations for improvements.
He acknowledged that while approximately 200,000 screenings are conducted annually by government departments with the assistance of CSIS and the RCMP, there are still identifiable gaps that need addressing. However, specific details on these gaps and potential changes moving forward were not elaborated on during the committee session.
The accused spy, identified as Biwei Zhang, had a history of fraudulent activities related to job applications in Canada. CSIS highlighted that working for NATO typically requires a minimum of a secret-level clearance. The clearance authorization in this case was granted by Global Affairs Canada, sparking questions about how the intern cleared security checks despite the previous fraud incident.
Opposition MPs expressed frustration over the lack of accountability and perceived shortcomings in national security measures. Conservative MP Frank Caputo criticized the situation, pointing out that it was Belgium, not Canada, that discovered the espionage activity. The Chinese Embassy in Canada denied any involvement by Beijing in Zhang’s actions.
Zhang, who is currently in custody in Belgium, had previous employment as an economist at Statistics Canada and a systems engineer at the Canadian Space Agency. The ongoing investigation aims to uncover any missed warning signs or red flags in Canada’s security screening protocols for sensitive government roles.
