The House of Commons committee has agreed to investigate Canada’s security screening processes in light of the arrest of a Canadian NATO intern by Belgian authorities on espionage charges. This decision follows calls from the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois for an emergency committee meeting to address the spying allegations.
During a meeting of the public safety and national security committee, Members of Parliament from various parties agreed to prioritize three sessions to delve into the matter when Parliament reconvenes in September. The committee plans to summon Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and any other relevant witnesses to provide testimony, with the intention of presenting their findings and recommendations to the House.
Although the identity of the defendant in the Belgian criminal investigation remains undisclosed by the courts, a CBC News investigation revealed that the accused spy is Biwei Zhang, a systems engineer with an economic background who was interning at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium.
Biwei Zhang, known professionally as Claire Zhang and as Catina Zhang on her Facebook profile, is suspected by Belgian authorities of espionage on behalf of a foreign state and alleged involvement in a criminal group.
The scrutiny of Canada’s security screening procedures has been raised by Conservative public safety critic Frank Caputo, who emphasized the need for parliamentary oversight given the gravity of the accusations against Zhang. Caputo highlighted concerns about how an individual facing spying charges managed to secure an internship within a crucial military alliance, questioning the adequacy of security screening, information-sharing, and monitoring protocols at the time.
The NATO internship obtained by Zhang necessitated a rigorous security clearance process, typically conducted by Canadian authorities such as the RCMP and CSIS for Canadian nationals.
Following the arrest of the alleged spy by Belgian authorities, Canada’s public safety minister expressed a commitment to thoroughly investigate the situation, acknowledging the seriousness of the charges. Prime Minister Mark Carney affirmed that Canadian officials have been actively involved in the case from the outset.
In addition to her NATO internship, CBC News uncovered Zhang’s employment history within various Canadian government departments, including roles as an economist at Statistics Canada and a systems engineer at the Canadian Space Agency. Notably, in 2023, Zhang was found to have engaged in fraudulent activities by the Public Service Commission of Canada for submitting multiple applications under different identities for a position at the Canada Border Services Agency.
According to her resume, Zhang has also worked at the World Trade Organization in Geneva and the European Space Agency in Italy, recently completing a master’s degree in computer science with a specialization in artificial intelligence from the University of Ottawa.
The day before the arrest on charges of espionage and involvement in a criminal organization, Belgian authorities conducted searches at Zhang’s residence and workplace at the SHAPE headquarters, as disclosed by the country’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office.