Canada’s public safety minister says the arrest of a Canadian intern at NATO headquarters in Belgium on espionage charges has exposed gaps in the country’s security-screening system and could provide “some serious lessons” for the federal government. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree made the comments Monday while appearing before the House of Commons public safety and national security committee. MPs are examining how the Canadian national was able to obtain the security clearance required to work at NATO despite concerns that had previously been identified in her background. Belgian authorities arrested the Canadian intern on July 24 on allegations of espionage and membership in a criminal organization. Sources have told Reuters and other media that the country she is suspected of working for is China. The allegations have not been proven in court, and the accused remains in custody in Belgium.
A CBC investigation identified the woman as Biwei Zhang, a systems engineer with a background in economics who worked as an intern at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, known as SHAPE, in Mons, Belgium. She has also used the professional name Claire Zhang and another name on social media. The case has raised particular questions because Zhang had previously come to the attention of Canadian authorities. In 2023, the Public Service Commission of Canada found that she had committed fraud by applying for a position with the Canada Border Services Agency using two different names and email addresses. Despite that finding, she was later able to obtain security clearance for work connected to NATO. Members of Parliament questioned government officials about how the previous fraud finding was considered during the screening process and whether warning signs were missed. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service told the committee that employment with NATO normally requires at least a secret-level security clearance, and potentially a higher level depending on the position. Anandasangaree said the government carries out roughly 200,000 security screenings each year with support from CSIS and the RCMP. He described the overall record as strong but acknowledged that the system is not perfect.
“By and large, it is an unimpeachable record. Of course, there are gaps here, and I recognize that there are gaps,” the minister told MPs.
He said he has asked the RCMP and CSIS to review what happened in the case and is examining their recommendations. The minister said the review will help determine what changes may be required to strengthen the screening process. Government officials told the committee that security-screening responsibilities are divided among several institutions. The Treasury Board establishes the broader screening policy, while individual departments are responsible for approving security clearances for their employees and personnel. In Zhang’s case, witnesses said the final authorization for the security clearance came through Global Affairs Canada. Vanessa Lloyd, CSIS deputy director of policy and strategic partnerships, told MPs that the intelligence service had identified “opportunities for improvements” in the security-screening process. Opposition MPs pressed the minister over why the earlier fraud finding did not prevent Zhang from eventually obtaining clearance for sensitive work. Some questioned whether Canadian authorities should have identified the potential risks before Belgian authorities arrested her. Conservative MP Frank Caputo, the party’s public safety critic, criticized what he described as a serious failure of Canadian security procedures. Other opposition members also questioned whether Canada had missed important warning signs. Government officials repeatedly cautioned that they could not discuss certain details because the Belgian investigation remains active. Revealing sensitive information about the case could potentially interfere with the investigation or intelligence-gathering activities. The case has also raised questions about the sharing of information between Canadian government departments and international partners. Because NATO involves multiple allied countries and access to sensitive military information, security officials face the challenge of ensuring that personnel are properly vetted before they are granted access. The Chinese Embassy in Canada has rejected what it called baseless speculation that Zhang was acting on behalf of Beijing. Authorities have not publicly established in court that China was behind the alleged espionage activity. Zhang remains in custody in Belgium as the legal proceedings continue. The espionage allegations against her remain allegations unless and until they are proven in court.
For Canada, the case has renewed scrutiny of how security clearances are granted to people working in sensitive government and international positions. The government’s review by CSIS and the RCMP could ultimately lead to changes in how previous misconduct, identity information and other potential warning signs are assessed. Anandasangaree said the government intends to learn from the case and improve the system where necessary. While he maintained that Canada’s security-screening process generally performs well, he acknowledged that the incident demonstrates the need to examine existing procedures and address weaknesses that may have allowed potential warning signs to go unnoticed.