A parliamentary committee in the House of Commons has approved an investigation into Canada’s security screening procedures following the arrest of a Canadian NATO intern by Belgian authorities on espionage charges. The decision was made after the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois called for an immediate committee meeting to look into the spying accusations against the intern.
During a meeting of the public safety and national security committee, Members of Parliament from various parties agreed to prioritize holding three sessions to delve into the issue once Parliament resumes in September. The committee plans to summon Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and any other pertinent witnesses to provide testimony. Subsequently, the committee will present its findings and recommendations to the House.
While the identity of the defendant in the Belgian criminal investigation has not been publicly disclosed, a CBC News investigation revealed the accused spy as Biwei Zhang, a systems engineer with an economics background who served as an intern at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium.
The investigation uncovered that Biwei Zhang is the legal name of the suspect, who professionally goes by Claire Zhang and uses the name Catina Zhang on her Facebook profile. Belgian authorities suspect Zhang of espionage on behalf of a foreign country and allege her involvement in a criminal organization.
The security clearance required for the NATO internship Zhang secured involved a thorough background check, which Canadian authorities, specifically the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), would have conducted due to her Canadian citizenship.
Following the arrest of the alleged spy by Belgian officials, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety pledged to thoroughly investigate the matter, acknowledging the gravity of the charges. Prime Minister Mark Carney later affirmed that Canadian officials have been actively engaged in the investigation from the outset.
CBC News discovered that Zhang, the former NATO intern, had held positions within various Canadian government departments. According to her online resume, she previously worked as an economist at Statistics Canada and as a systems engineer at the Canadian Space Agency. In 2023, the Public Service Commission of Canada found Zhang guilty of fraud for applying to the Canada Border Services Agency under different identities, a decision upheld by a federal judge in 2024.
In addition to her roles in Canada, Zhang had positions at the World Trade Organization in Geneva and the European Space Agency in Italy. She recently completed a master’s degree in computer science specializing in artificial intelligence at the University of Ottawa.
The day prior to the arrest of the suspect on charges of espionage and involvement in a criminal organization, Belgian authorities conducted searches at her residence and workplace at SHAPE, as announced by the country’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office.