James Griffiths
Globe and Mail, Apr. 16, 2023
“The donations did raise some eyebrows, as did Mr. Zhang’s attendance at a cash-for-access fundraiser with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in May, 2016.”
Zhang Bin, a wealthy Chinese businessman, finds himself in the middle of a controversial 2016 donation to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation that The Globe and Mail has reported was linked to the Chinese government, allegedly part of Beijing’s meddling in Canadian democratic processes.
A Chinese citizen with a home in Quebec, Mr. Zhang is president of the China Cultural Industry Association, a government-backed body that promotes Chinese soft power around the world. He is also a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body, and, according to a now-deleted profile of him on the industry association website, a member of the ruling Communist Party.
An examination of corporate records in Canada and Hong Kong, reports in Chinese state media, and interviews with associates paint a picture of a highly connected and highly talented networker, whose close ties to Beijing should have raised flags long before now.
Gerry Groot, an expert on Chinese politics at the University of Adelaide in Australia, said Mr. Zhang appeared to have “many points of contact with the United Front Work Department and potentially Chinese intelligence.” The UFWD is a wing of the Communist Party responsible for co-ordinating Beijing’s overseas influence operations. It not only vets prospective members of the party’s advisory body, but also plays a role in promoting Chinese soft power.
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