Tim Cheung (@TimCheung)

Amid nationwide #commemorative events of the# #TiananmenSquare #crackdown this week, some #BC. #politicians recently celebrated closer ties with #Beijing at an event hosted by the Vancouver consulate general of the People’s Republic of China. #PRC Consul General #YangShu hosted at least five elected officials, including three members of the Conservative Party of B.C., on #May31, according to photos circulating online and statements from his office. Shu was marking the 30th anniversary of the sister province relationship between B.C. and the Chinese province of #Guangdong...Richmond-#Bridgeport MLA #TeresaWat attended the event. Her appearance would be notable in so much as she signed a #PRC Belt and Road Initiative memorandum of understanding with Guangdong in 2016 as B.C.’s then-trade minister alongside then-premier #ChristyClark. Critics raised concerns the now expired pact overlooked #humanrights considerations and economic threats posed by #China. The #consulate also said #Vancouver-Fraserview #MLA #GeorgeChow attended. He serves as B.C.’s minister of citizens’ services, which oversees #cybersecurity. The province banned the #TikTok #socialmedia #app from government devices in 2023 over fears of Chinese #surveillance...Richmond Conservative MLAs Steve Kooner and Hon Chan also attended the event...Steveston-#Richmond East #MP #ParmBains was also in attendance. His riding was the centre of controversy over claims it was affected by #proChina #disinformation campaigns during the 2021 #federalelection...Former #BC. #premier #MikeHarcourt was also in attendance. He told #BIV he was invited by a business group...He noted he was #mayor of #Vancouver when the sister-province agreement was forged in 1984...BIV reached out to all the other #politicians for comment but received no response prior to publication of this story." https://www.facebook.com/ChinaCreepingAuthoritarianism/posts/pfbid05T6JS1KYL4dqgyn6ByHJaTbtrgtAzkTMQfKc47hvHienVEcZX2M85KxWtXjR7mhsl