Conservative and Bloc Members of Parliament are urging for an urgent assembly of the House of Commons public safety committee to investigate allegations of espionage involving a former Canadian intern who was detained by Belgian authorities on suspicion of espionage.
Expressing deep concerns, Conservative MP Frank Caputo emphasized the need to scrutinize Canada’s national security screening procedures following the espionage accusations. The intern in question, Biwei Zhang, had served as an intern at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium.
Though Belgian officials did not disclose her identity, a CBC News investigation identified Zhang as a systems engineer with an economics background who had prior employment with the Canadian Space Agency and Statistics Canada.
According to security sources in Europe, Zhang allegedly displayed suspicious behavior that attracted the attention of NATO’s internal security services. Reports suggest she showed excessive curiosity about colleagues, accessed unauthorized areas, and obtained files beyond her IT department responsibilities at SHAPE.
Zhang is currently in custody in Belgium, and the allegations against her remain unproven in court.
In response to the situation, Caputo affirmed the committee’s commitment to examining how Zhang secured the NATO internship, the extent of security screening conducted prior to her appointment, any red flags raised by Canadian or allied authorities, and the adequacy of monitoring protocols.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree has pledged to investigate Canada’s security screening practices to address the concerns raised by the incident. Emphasizing the need for transparency and prevention of similar occurrences, Anandasangaree stressed the importance of resolving the matter thoroughly.
Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated that Canadian security officials were actively involved in the investigation from its inception, dispelling notions of being caught off guard by the intern’s arrest.
