Canada’s Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree says the country needs to address weaknesses in its security screening system following the arrest of a Canadian NATO intern in Belgium on espionage allegations.
Anandasangaree appeared before the House of Commons public safety and national security committee on Monday, where MPs questioned him about how the intern obtained Canadian security clearance before working with the military alliance.
Belgian authorities arrested the Canadian intern on July 24. She is accused of spying for a foreign country and being involved with a criminal organization. Reuters and other media outlets have reported that the suspected country is China.
The minister said he had asked the RCMP and CSIS to examine the circumstances surrounding the case and that he is reviewing their recommendations.
He noted that Canadian government departments conduct approximately 200,000 security screenings each year with assistance from CSIS and the RCMP. While he described the overall screening record as strong, he acknowledged that weaknesses exist and said improvements are necessary.
However, Anandasangaree gave limited details about the specific shortcomings identified in the system or what reforms could follow.
Although Belgian authorities have not publicly named the accused because the case has not reached trial, a CBC News investigation identified her as Biwei Zhang. She reportedly worked as an intern at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, Belgium, and has a background in systems engineering and economics. She is also known professionally as Claire Zhang and uses the name Catina Zhang on Facebook.
PRESS UPDATE