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 charges of espionage.
This decision was made after the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois called for an urgent committee meeting to look into the spying allegations against the Canadian intern. During a meeting of the public safety and national security committee on Monday, members from different political parties agreed to prioritize meeting three times to delve into the issue when Parliament resumes in September.
The committee plans to summon Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree as a witness and may call other relevant witnesses as needed. Subsequently, the committee will present its findings and recommendations to the House.
Although the identity of the defendant in the Belgian criminal investigation has not been disclosed, a CBC News investigation revealed the intern in question as Biwei Zhang. Zhang, a systems engineer with an economics background, was interning at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium.
While the suspect is legally known as Biwei Zhang, she uses the professional name Claire Zhang and the name Catina Zhang on her Facebook profile, according to the investigation. Belgian authorities suspect Zhang of spying for a foreign entity and being associated with a criminal group.
The security screening process in Canada has come under scrutiny following these events. Conservative public safety critic Frank Caputo requested parliamentary oversight, expressing concerns about how an individual accused of espionage managed to secure an internship within a crucial military alliance for Canada. Caputo emphasized the necessity to review the security screening, information-sharing, and monitoring mechanisms in place at the time.
The NATO internship requiring thorough security clearance would have involved background checks conducted by Canadian authorities, specifically the RCMP and CSIS, due to Zhang’s Canadian citizenship.
Government officials in Canada have pledged to investigate the matter thoroughly in light of the serious charges against the intern. Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Canadian officials have been actively involved in the case since its inception.
CBC News also found that the former NATO intern had previously held positions in various Canadian government departments. Zhang’s resume indicates past roles as an economist at Statistics Canada and a systems engineer at the Canadian Space Agency. Furthermore, a prior incident involving Zhang’s application under different identities for a position at the Canada Border Services Agency in 2023 led to a judicial review and dismissal of her application in 2024.
Zhang’s professional history includes stints 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 at the University of Ottawa.
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 announced by the country’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office.
