China on Tuesday expelled a Canadian diplomat in Shanghai, a day after Canada announced it would expel a Chinese diplomat over allegations he was involved in efforts to intimidate a Canadian politician, APA reports citing CNN.
In a statement Tuesday, China’s Foreign Ministry said it strongly condemned the expulsion of Toronto-based diplomat Zhao Wei, and as “reciprocal countermeasure,” would declare Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, a consul of the Consulate General of Canada in Shanghai, persona non grata.
Lalonde has been asked to leave China before May 13, according to the statement.
On Monday, Canada moved to expel Zhao, with Foreign Minister Melanie Joly saying, “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.”
The news follows mounting public pressure on the Canadian government to respond following revelations the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) found an accredited Chinese diplomat in the country had taken efforts toward targeting opposition lawmaker Michael Chong and relatives who may be China, after he sponsored a motion to condemn China’s treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority group.
The intelligence was first reported by Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail earlier this month and comes amid public uproar over allegations that China attempted to meddle in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections.
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