Briefly: Burnaby North Conservative candidate Michael Wu’s campaign is attracting the support of people allied with the Chinese consulate. James Wu Jiaming and Michael Wu were seen in a 2021 video with a group that helped Liberal Parm Bains upset Conservative MP Kenny Chiu.
Bob Mackin
Two men associated with a campaign that helped Liberal Parm Bains upset Conservative MP Kenny Chiu in the 2021 federal election were photographed with a Conservative Party of B.C. candidate at his campaign office.
Conservative candidate Michael Wu (left), James Wu Jiaming and Pifeng Hu (WeChat)
A photograph circulating on the Chinese state-surveilled WeChat app shows Burnaby North candidate Michael Wu with a group of campaign T-shirt wearing supporters, including James Wu Jiaming and Pifeng Hu.
Jiaming is executive chairman of the Canada-China City Friendship Association and Hu the honorary president of the Peace and Development Forum of Canada. The latter group advocates for the People’s Republic of China to annex self-governing, democratic Taiwan.
Hu was involved in the Chinese nationalist protests in August 2019 against Lower Mainland advocates for democracy in Hong Kong. The pro-China protesters waved the Chinese flag, and chanted slogans and sang songs in celebration of the Chinese Communist Party.
Neither Wu nor the Conservative Party of B.C. headquarters has responded for comment.
Wu’s X bio says: ”Born in Taiwan. Proud Canadian. Entrepreneur. 17 years with RCMP (auxiliary).”
The Commissioner of Canada Elections (CCE) investigated foreign interference in the Steveston-Richmond East federal riding, including a videotaped pre-election meeting between Bains and supporters of the Chinese Canadians Goto Vote Association. Jiaming and Hu were both seen in the video wearing the association’s shirts.
The CCE investigation, tabled at the Hogue Commission on foreign interference in September, found officials from the People’s Republic of China government gave “the impetus and direction” for the successful campaign to defeat Chiu and the Conservatives in 2021.
But investigators said they did not find enough evidence to charge anyone under the Canada Elections Act for undue foreign influence, intimidation, unregistered third party or use of foreign funds.
Michael Wu also attracted attention of pro-Beijing Phoenix TV, which covered his campaign office launch inside a former Pizza Hut restaurant.
Among those wearing blue Wu shirts were Canada Shandong Business Association head Zheng Yan, who led a Vancouver delegation to China for Xi Jinping Thought in 2023. Also, former Canadian Alliance of Chinese Associations secretary Shumei Lu, ex-Liberal candidate Karen Wang and Chis Qiu, a former aide to Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim and ex-Marpole modular housing opponent.
In a July interview, John Rustad told theBreaker.news that personnel from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) arranged to brief him about foreign interference in early July.
“I spent about an hour or so talking to them about issues. But I won’t talk any further about what we discussed,” Rustad said.
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