Chinese Canadian ‘Leaders’ Spread Disinformation about Taiwan on TV
They suggest Canada must capitulate to China or face their wrath, even war
Two prominent Chinese Canadians, including one on a B.C. government Advisory Council, have appeared on a partially China-owned television station telling Chinese viewers that Canada recognizes Taiwan is part of China, a false statement.
The statements also suggest that Canadian government’s actions might lead to war with China if Canada doesn’t tow the Beijing line on the Taiwan issue, an extrapolation of threats of “forceful measures’ by Beijing against Canada if a group of lawmakers visit Taiwan.
Ottawa does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation and does not have direct government relations, but it does not declare Taiwan as part of China either and supports the country unofficially. It does recognize China has made a claim on the island, but doesn’t take a position.
But David Choi, member of a B.C. provincial government legacy initiatives advisory council, says on Phoenix TV that “Canada acknowledged Taiwan is Part of China”.
Choi’s comment was made on an interview by Phoenix TV Vancouver which was broadcasted on August 22, 2022, as part of a news clip “Chinese Canadians call on the Canadian government to stop making mistakes on the Taiwan issue”.
Subtitles on the screen, “News Hours 15:24. Taiwan is part of China. Chinese Canadians call on the Canadian government to stop making mistakes on the Taiwan issue. Canadian public say Canadian policies On Taiwan issue are confusing and contradictory”.
The news clip shows the host saying, , “After U.S. House Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, Anita Anand, Canada’s National Defense Minister said Canada would provide Taiwan with full support, sending two warships to join the U.S.’s naval warships to sail through the Taiwan Strait.”
David Choi, senior researcher at the Institute of Asian Research of UBC and CEO of the Royal Pacific Realty Group, said Anand’s comment is not only wrong, but also against Canada’s One China policy. Choi said, “The duty of a national defense minister is to protect our country, carrying out the country’s military policies. It is not her job to make foreign affairs policies. Canada acknowledges the One China policy, and when it acknowledges One China, it acknowledges that Taiwan is part of China. This is what Canada’s policy has acknowledged. ”
David Choi has demonstrated a pro-Beijing stance on more than one occasion. In 2020, he released a video expressing support for the draconian National Security Law in Hong Kong.
On January 24, 2022, Choi attended an event in Richmond celebrating the 10 days counting down to the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, along with Tong Xiaoling, China’s Consul General in Vancouver, Hilbert Yiu and others.
David Choi is a co-chair of the Legacy Initiatives Advisory Council at B.C. government.
His father, Cheung-Kok Choi, donated 5 million dollars to the UBC’s C.K. Choi Building in the 1990s, which now houses the Institute of Asian Research.
His Linkedin says he is the current CEO of Royal Pacific Realty, but does not appear on their site. His being a founder of the group appears in Google search results, but the link does not work when clicked upon.
Another prominent Chinese-Canadian, Hilbert Yiu, president of the Chinese Benevolent Association, also commented on Anand’s statement in the news clip. He said Anand has “overestimated herself.”
Yiu said, “ Our military strength is not high. Once you stepped over the red line, and war happens. Will you go to war or not? It is something you shouldn’t have done.”
In 2019, Hilbert Yiu was reportedly helping recruit volunteers for the Chinese Consulate General in Vancouver.
In the fall of 2019, Hilbert Yiu was invited by the Chinese government to attend the celebration of China’s 70th anniversary events.
In a group photo posted on multiple Chinese-language sites, Hilbert Yiu (6th from left) was seen celebrating China’s 70th anniversary in Beijing with other Chinese Canadian “leaders”, including Chen Yongtao (4th from left), Zhu Jiang (7th from left) and Wei Chengyi (8th from left).
Zhu Jiang is the founding president of Xinjiang Association of Canada and a former head of the Council of Newcomer Organizations, an umbrella group that included his Xinjiang association. Zhujiang is reported to have repeatedly defended China’s atrocities in Xinjiang, parroting Beijing’s talking points. Zhu’s organizations have been studied as primary samples in Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s recent report “Cultivating friendly forces: The Chinese Communist Party’s influence operations in the Xinjiang Diaspora” released in July 2022.