Canada expels Chinese diplomat accused of bullying Canadian lawmaker, Beijing hits back

China refuted allegations that one of its diplomats in Canada had engaged in threatening, intimidating, and bullying behaviour toward a Canadian opposition legislator and interfering in the country’s internal affairs.

Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced yesterday that the Canadian government had declared Zhao Wei as “persona non grata” and ordered him to leave the country immediately, despite Beijing’s denials. She said…

“I have been clear: we will not tolerate any form of foreign interference in our internal affairs. Diplomats in Canada have been warned that if they engage in this type of behaviour, they will be sent home.”

China rejected the allegations, with the Chinese embassy in Ottawa releasing a statement on its website condemning the expulsion and reiterating its position that Beijing has never meddled in Canada’s domestic affairs. The embassy also…