Canadian authorities have issued a deportation order against Jing Zhang, a Chinese woman, on the grounds that she was part of Beijing’s foreign interference program. The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) determined that Zhang had worked for the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office (OCAO), an organization accused of espionage in Canada.
Although immigration officials did not allege that Zhang committed espionage herself, the IRB found that her 11-year employment with OCAO contributed to its efforts to exert pressure on the Chinese diaspora in Canada. According to the IRB, the OCAO has been involved in espionage activities against targeted individuals and groups in Canada, which goes against Canada’s security interests.
The decision to deport Zhang for security reasons was made in August but only recently made public. It remains unclear whether she has been deported since the ruling.
The OCAO is part of a broader national security concern related to overseas governments, particularly China, bullying and intimidating Canadians, including activists, who challenge the Chinese Communist Party’s authority. The organization is known for gathering intelligence on dissidents and ethnic minorities outside China and has been accused of espionage.
During Zhang’s hearing, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) argued that the OCAO had infiltrated Chinese communities in Canada to suppress opponents, including Taiwanese, ethnic Uyghurs, Falun Gong practitioners, and Canadian citizens of Chinese descent. The CBSA alleged that the OCAO engaged in covert actions and intelligence gathering, effectively amounting to espionage.
Zhang’s employment with the OCAO involved interacting with various target groups both inside China and in the diaspora, including students, prominent individuals, government personnel, and businesspersons. Her activities aligned with the OCAO’s objectives and the implementation of qiaouw, a tactic that exploits personal relationships to neutralize critics of the Communist Party.
Despite Zhang’s attempts to downplay her role in the OCAO and claim translation errors, the IRB ruled that she was a member of the organization who knowingly participated in its activities and supported its goals.
Another former OCAO employee, Yong Zhang, was deemed inadmissible to Canada in 2022 based on similar findings. The OCAO became part of China’s United Front Work Department in 2018, which Canadian officials allege has been operating in Canada to stifle criticism and manipulate Canadian communities. The RCMP has also been investigating alleged Chinese police stations in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal conducting operations in Canada.