June 13, 2006: Memory Lane: Haiyang Zhang

Glaring omissions in G & M story of Haiyang Zhang ... intended? For whose benefit?

Shotgun - Kevin Steel: Big holes in the story December 23, 2005

[....] CSIS feared [Haiyang] Zhang had ties to spies. There are some really glaring omissions in this story. To recap, Zhang, 42, was hired by the Privy Council, "the elite federal agency that advises the Prime Minister and cabinet" on Nov. 28, 2003 and then fired six months later on Nov. 28. CSIS had concluded that she was a threat to national security because of [....]

Read Kevin Steele's account of what is missing in the Globe and Mail story -- strange.

Search: Chinese Consulate in Sydney, Chen Yonglin , spies , 1,000 strong , Hao Fengjun , June 29 by University of Toronto professor and security expert Wesley Wark on page A17



Background

A job given, then taken away December 23, 2005 -- Globe and Mail and article -- behind a $ firewall

Haiyang Zhang thought she'd landed her dream job the day she was recruited to join the Privy Council Office, an elite federal agency that advises the Prime Minister and cabinet.

Fluent in three languages and holding two master's degrees, Ms. Zhang looked like a perfect fit for the department when she arrived on Feb. 24, 2003.

But just six months later, her dreams came crashing down. [....]

I believe that the Chinese Canadian Business Council had recommended that having native Chinese speakers, not Canadians of Chinese extraction or other Canadians who happen to speak Chinese (Mandarin?), would be advantageous to businesses wanting to conduct business in China. Perhaps, considering the push from then-PM and friends to advance business with China, Haiyang Zhang was considered positive for the Privy Council Office (PCO).

Ex-Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan assured Canadians we had nothing to worry about really -- that security was under control. What about those 1000 or more spies from China whom defectors claim are in Canada?