A parliamentary committee in the House of Commons has agreed to review Canada’s security screening procedures after a Canadian NATO intern was detained by Belgian authorities on charges of espionage.
The decision was made following calls from the Conservative and Bloc Québécois parties for an urgent committee meeting to investigate the spying allegations against the intern. Members of the public safety and national security committee came together across party lines during a meeting on Monday to schedule three sessions for in-depth examination when Parliament reconvenes in September.
The committee plans to summon Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree as a witness and may call upon additional individuals for testimony deemed relevant to the case. The findings and recommendations resulting from the investigation will be reported to the House.
Though the identity of the defendant in the Belgian criminal investigation has not been publicly disclosed, a CBC News report revealed 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.
The investigation revealed that Biwei Zhang is the legal name of the suspect, who professionally goes by Claire Zhang and uses the name Catina Zhang on her Facebook profile. Belgian authorities suspect Zhang of spying for a foreign entity and allege her involvement in a criminal group.
There are growing concerns regarding Canada’s security screening processes following the arrest of the intern. Conservative public safety critic Frank Caputo urged for parliamentary oversight in light of the severity of the accusations, questioning how an individual accused of espionage managed to secure an internship within a crucial military alliance and the adequacy of security screening measures in place at the time.
The NATO internship obtained by Zhang required a thorough security clearance, a vetting process typically conducted by Canadian authorities such as the RCMP and CSIS for Canadian nationals.
After the arrest of the alleged spy by Belgian officials, Canada’s public safety minister pledged to thoroughly investigate the matter, emphasizing the gravity of the charges. Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed Canadian officials’ involvement in the case from the outset, noting the ongoing nature of the investigation.
CBC News investigations uncovered Zhang’s past roles within various Canadian government departments, including positions as an economist at Statistics Canada and a systems engineer at the Canadian Space Agency. Additionally, Zhang had a history with the World Trade Organization in Geneva and the European Space Agency in Italy. She recently completed a master’s degree in computer science specializing in artificial intelligence at the University of Ottawa.
Prior to the arrest on charges of espionage and criminal association, Belgian authorities conducted searches at Zhang’s residence and workplace at SHAPE.
