Chinese government interference

On February 24, 2023, Global News reported that its intelligence sources with knowledge of Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) affairs reported that Dong was an alleged "witting affiliate" in China's election interference networks.^[15] Sources claim that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and senior Liberal party officials ignored CSIS warnings about Dong, which has been denied by Trudeau.^[16]

The same article also claimed that a "Liberal insider" and former Ontario MPP Michael Chan had possibly arranged Tan's ouster in Don Valley North in favour of Dong in advance of the 2019 federal election because the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was unhappy with Tan. Chan, Dong, and the Chinese embassy denied the accusations, with Dong describing the leaks as "seriously inaccurate". Dong and the Liberal Party also said that his 2019 nomination victory had followed all of the party's rules.^[15] According to an anonymous intelligence official and intelligence documents viewed by Global News, CSIS had also been investigating Dong due to an alleged meeting between Dong and a senior official from the CCP's United Front Work Department in New York state.^[15]

Dong has stated that he would welcome investigations against himself to clear his name but denies the need for a public inquiry.^[17] In response to these allegations, Trudeau has also rejected these allegations as "irresponsible" and a result of anti-Asian racism against Dong.^[18] He also stressed that Dong is unquestionably loyal to Canada.^[19][20]

In March 2023, he said that he was yet to be contacted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Elections Canada, or CSIS concerning the allegations, and that he wanted the truth to come out.^[21]

On March 22, 2023, additional reporting from Global News, based on two national security sources, said that in February 2021, Dong had reached out to the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto to discuss the detention of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. According to the sources, Dong told Han Tao, the consul-general, that their release should be delayed, that their release could benefit the Conservative Party of Canada, and for China to make concessions to Canada in the ongoing detention dispute. In a statement, Dong said that although he had spoken to the consul-general, he had not initiated it, and he had not suggested delaying the release of the Spavor and Kovrig, instead calling for their release. The Prime Minister's Office said it was not aware of the meeting until Dong told the PMO after media questions, and that Dong was not used as a diplomatic backchannel.^[22] On the same day, Dong announced that he would be leaving the Liberal caucus and sitting as an independent to work on clearing his name without disrupting government business and to avoid a "conflict of duty" by remaining on the government benches.^[23]

On March 23, 2023, The Globe and Mail, citing a senior government source, reported that the Trudeau government had reviewed the CSIS transcript in question and determined that there was no "actionable evidence" and that it was unable to draw the conclusion that Dong had sought to have the Two Michaels kept in detention for political reasons. The same day, Dong, as an independent MP, voted for a New Democratic Party motion calling for a public inquiry into alleged Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 elections that passed with the support of the opposition parties and which was opposed by Liberal MPs.^[24]

Following the allegations, Dong said he had retained a lawyer and intended to sue Global News for defamation.^[24][25] Global News stood by its reporting, with its editor-in-chief saying Global follows "a rigorous set of journalistic principles and practices".^[26] A few days later, lawyers for Dong issued a libel notice demanding a retraction and apology from Global News, saying that if Global News failed to do so in seven days Dong would file a lawsuit.^[27] In April, Dong filed a defamation lawsuit against Global News and some of its reporters.^[28] Following his review, Special Rapporteur David Johnston said that allegations that Dong had told Chinese officials to extend the detention of Kovrig and Spavor were false.^[29] Johnston reviewed documents but did not speak to Dong when preparing his report, saying he decided against reaching out to Dong out of respect for the ongoing defamation lawsuit.^[30][31] Dong said he was vindicated by the report,^[32] saying that he wanted to rejoin the Liberal Party caucus.^[33][34] In June, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said he was conducting a review to determine whether the party would readmit Dong to caucus, and that he would be reviewing other intelligence materials, as Johnston's report was just a "starting point".^[31]

In September 2023, following the announcement of a public inquiry into foreign election interference, LeBlanc said that he had not had an opportunity to conduct an internal review of Dong's situation. He said that he would be meeting with Dong "in the coming days" and would provide a recommendation to Trudeau "at the right moment".^[35]

In December 2023, Chinese dissident and Uyghur rights groups questioned their safety to testify at a planned public inquiry on foreign interference with Dong present.^[36]

In April 2024, Dong testified in a federal inquiry that international students from China were bused in to vote for him in a Liberal Party election.^[37] The same month, The Globe and Mail reported that Dong was tipped off about CSIS surveillance of him in 2019.^[38]