Documents reveal fired scientists shared information with China
Mar 5, 2024
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Newly released documents reveal fired scientists shared information with China, posing a threat to Canada's economic security. The podcast explores the controversy, foreign interference, and government's delayed disclosure. It delves into the scientists' connections, challenges in investigating foreign interference, and the health minister's actions to address the situation.
Scientists shared confidential info with China jeopardizing Canadian security.
Dr. Ziangochu's ties to Chinese entities raised espionage concerns, posing national security threats.
Deep dives
Ziangochu and Keating Chang's Background and Work
Dr. Ziangochu, a significant figure in the saga, had a medical PhD and a Master's in Immunology from China before moving to Canada. Working at the Winnipeg lab on an Ebola drug led to her and a colleague winning the 2018 Canadian Governor General's Innovation Award. The lab in Winnipeg is a high-security level four facility for research on deadly diseases like Ebola, emphasizing the strict protocols for entry and research restrictions in place.
Revelation of Dr. Ziangochu's Dismissal and Investigation Details
In 2019, Dr. Ziangochu, her husband, and Chinese students were removed from the Winnipeg lab, with later dismissals in 2021 after revealed security concerns. Documents unveiled that Dr. Ziangochu posed a significant security threat to Canada due to undisclosed collaborations with China and deceptive practices. Investigations by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service exposed clandestine connections with Chinese entities, discrepancies in her CVs, and involvement in Chinese talent programs, raising espionage suspicions.
Impact of Dr. Ziangochu's Actions on National Security
Dr. Ziangochu's affiliations with Chinese military institutions and undisclosed research sharing with China raised alarms regarding potential espionage and intellectual property theft. Her involvement in gain of function studies and transmission of research results to China, including disease vials, posed serious national security threats. Despite investigations revealing her deceitful practices and questionable ties, Dr. Ziangochu's motives, such as substantial research funding from Chinese programs, remain unclear.
Newly released documents reveal two scientists who worked at a high-security infectious disease lab in Winnipeg provided confidential scientific information to China. Both scientists were fired back in 2021, but for years the exact reasons why had been a mystery. The CSIS documents now reveal that one of the scientists was “a realistic and credible threat to Canada’s economic security.”
Senior parliamentary reporter, Steven Chase explains who these scientists are and the information they were sharing, foreign interference and why the government took so long to release the documents.