A parliamentary committee in the House of Commons has decided to investigate Canada’s security screening procedures following the arrest of a Canadian NATO intern by Belgian authorities on espionage charges. The move comes after the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois jointly called for an urgent committee meeting to look into the spying allegations against the intern.
During a meeting of the public safety and national security committee, Members of Parliament from various parties agreed to prioritize holding three sessions to delve into the issue when Parliament reconvenes in September. The committee plans to summon Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree as a witness and may call upon other relevant witnesses. Subsequently, the committee will present its findings and recommendations to the House.
Although the Belgian courts do not disclose defendants’ identities during criminal investigations, a CBC News probe identified the accused individual as Biwei Zhang, a systems engineer with an economics background who was interning at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium.
It was revealed that Biwei Zhang is the suspect’s legal name, while she professionally goes by Claire Zhang and uses the name Catina Zhang on her Facebook profile. Belgian authorities suspect Zhang of espionage on behalf of a foreign country and allege her involvement in a criminal enterprise.
The issue has sparked concerns about Canada’s security screening processes, with Conservative public safety critic Frank Caputo urging for parliamentary scrutiny given the gravity of the accusations against Zhang. Caputo emphasized the need to investigate how an individual accused of spying could secure an internship within a critical military alliance and questioned the security screening and monitoring mechanisms in place.
The intern position at NATO acquired by Zhang necessitated a thorough security clearance process, which Canadian authorities, specifically the RCMP and CSIS, would have overseen as she is a Canadian citizen.
Following the intern’s arrest on spying charges by Belgian authorities, Canada’s public safety minister vowed to investigate the matter thoroughly, acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations. Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed Canada’s involvement in the investigation from the outset.
CBC News uncovered that Zhang had previously held roles within various Canadian government departments, working as an economist at Statistics Canada and a systems engineer at the Canadian Space Agency. In a separate incident, the Public Service Commission of Canada found Zhang guilty of fraud in 2023 for submitting multiple applications under different names and emails for a position at the Canada Border Services Agency.
It was also revealed that Zhang had worked at the World Trade Organization in Geneva and the European Space Agency in Italy, and recently completed a master’s degree in computer science specializing in artificial intelligence from the University of Ottawa. Prior to her arrest, Belgian authorities conducted searches at Zhang’s residence and workplace at SHAPE as part of the espionage and criminal organization probe.
