Posted on 06/17/2005 10:28:18 AM PDT by thierrya
Chinese spies cost Canada billions: Harper CTV.ca News Staff
Conservatives accused the government of not addressing the presence of Chinese industrial spies during question period Thursday.
"Today the former head of the CSIS Asia desk confirmed reports from defectors that close to 1000 Chinese government agent spies have infiltrated Canada," Conservative Leader Stephen Harper said.
Harper quoted the former CSIS official, Michel Juneau-Katsuya, as believing Chinese spies cost Canada $1 billion every month through industrial espionage.
Juneau-Katsuya oversaw the CSIS Asia desk during the mid-1990s. He told reporters that China is a serious threat to Canadian security.
Reports of Chinese spies operating in Canada first surfaced from two defectors in Australia, who seeking political asylum there. Hao Fengjun, 32, a former officer with Chinese Public Security Bureau, told reporters that most of the spies are based in Vancouver and Toronto.
Hao also said the spies are charged with intimidating Falun Gong members. Falun Gong is a spiritual movement that was banned in China in 1999.
The other defector, Chen Yonglin, 37, was an official at the Chinese consulate general in Sydney. Yonglin told reporters there are 1,000 spies operating in Australia as well. The Australian domestic intelligence agency is currently investigating his claim.
Harper accused the Prime Minister Paul Martin of avoiding the issue of industrial espionage when he traveled to Asia early this year.
"Did the prime minister explicitly raise this violation of our sovereignty when he met with leading Chinese government officials in Beijing?" Harper asked.
"I dealt extensively with Canada's sovereignty and the need to respect the complete sovereignty between countries," Martin responded.
Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan has refused to discuss CSIS and RCMP operational details, but stated they are doing everything "to ensure the collective security of Canadians."
She added that the government has spent $9.5 billion on national security since the events of September 11, 2001.
"You IDIOTS! You've been spying on CANADA!!!"
Maybe they've obtain valuable military secrets, like how to buy used submarines and not get ripped off.
But I thought every other country loved Canada, because they are so "civilized" and "nice"?
Isn't this a net positive for Canada? I mean, with thousands of Chinese spies, they still have to blend in, have regular jobs, pay taxes, vote for liberals and help get out the dead vote. Sure, they manage to send a few western secrets back home, but think of the added tax base!
>But I thought every other country loved Canada, because they >are so "civilized" and "nice"?
Civilized and Nice to one person or one country means "simple" and timid to another.
Canadians are generally a simple, timid folk. They don't know how to handle spies. Heck, the Canadian border guards don't even have guns for chri$tsakes.
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