Conservative and Bloc Members of Parliament are urging the House of Commons public safety committee to hold an urgent meeting to investigate accusations of espionage against a former Canadian intern detained by Belgian authorities for suspected spying, as reported on Thursday.
Expressing deep concern, Conservative MP Frank Caputo emphasized the need for a thorough review of Canada’s national security screening procedures. The parliament must assess if any security screening deficiencies could have jeopardized sensitive information or compromised the security of Canada and its allies.
The individual in question, Biwei Zhang, served as an intern at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium. Although not officially named by Belgian authorities, a CBC News investigation identified Zhang as a systems engineer with an economics background.
Reports suggest that Zhang had previous employment with the Canadian Space Agency and Statistics Canada. Sources in European media, including Reuters, indicated that Zhang’s behavior at SHAPE raised suspicions, including excessive curiosity about colleagues, unauthorized access to restricted areas, and viewing files beyond her assigned duties in the IT Department.
Zhang is currently in detention in Belgium, with the allegations against her yet to be proven in court. Public Safety Minister Caputo has pledged a thorough investigation into how Zhang secured the NATO internship, the adequacy of security screenings before granting access, any red flags raised by Canadian or allied authorities, and the monitoring protocols in place.
Minister Anandasangaree has assured the public that security officials will also examine Zhang’s potential ties to Canadian agencies to prevent similar incidents in the future. Prime Minister Mark Carney has indicated that Canadian security authorities were not caught off guard by the intern’s arrest, addressing concerns over Canada’s security screening processes.