A parliamentary committee in the House of Commons has agreed to investigate the security screening procedures in Canada following the arrest of a Canadian NATO intern by Belgian authorities on espionage charges. This decision was reached after the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois demanded an urgent committee meeting to look into the spying allegations against the intern.
During a meeting of the public safety and national security committee on Monday, Members of Parliament from various parties agreed to prioritize holding three sessions to delve into the matter when Parliament resumes in September. The committee plans to summon Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and any other relevant witnesses for testimony. Subsequently, the committee will present its findings and recommendations to the House.
Although the identity of the defendant in the Belgian criminal investigation is typically kept confidential, a CBC News investigation revealed that the accused spy is Biwei Zhang. She is a systems engineer with an economics background who was interning at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium.
It was discovered that Biwei Zhang legally goes by the name Claire Zhang professionally and Catina Zhang on her Facebook profile. Belgian authorities suspect Zhang of espionage activities on behalf of a foreign nation and involvement in a criminal group.
The security clearance for the NATO internship obtained by Zhang required thorough background checks, which should have been carried out by Canadian authorities, specifically the RCMP and CSIS, due to her Canadian nationality.
In response to the arrest of the alleged spy by Belgian officials, Canada’s public safety minister pledged to thoroughly investigate the matter, emphasizing the seriousness of the charges. Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Canadian officials have been actively involved in the case since its inception.
CBC News investigations revealed that Zhang has previously held positions within various Canadian government departments. Her past roles included working as an economist at Statistics Canada and as a systems engineer at the Canadian Space Agency. Additionally, it was found that Zhang had faced accusations of fraud in 2023 for applying to the Canada Border Services Agency under different names and emails, which led to a judicial review dismissing her application in 2024.
Zhang’s professional history includes positions at 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 from the University of Ottawa.
The day before the arrest on charges of espionage and involvement in a criminal organization, Belgian authorities conducted searches at Zhang’s residence and workplace at SHAPE, as confirmed by a statement from the country’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office.