OTAWA –
Two scientists at a high-security laboratory lost their jobs after reviews found they failed to protect sensitive assets and information and downplayed their collaborations with Chinese government agencies, newly released records show.
The scientists, Xiangguo Qiu and her husband, Keding Cheng, were stripped of their security clearances over questions about their loyalty to Canada and the potential for coercion or exploitation by a foreign entity, the documents say.
More than 600 pages were made public Wednesday following a special all-party review of the records.
Opposition parties hoped the documents would shed light on why Qiu and Cheng were ousted from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg in July 2019 and subsequently fired in January 2021.
They also wanted to see documents related to the transfer, overseen by Qiu, of the deadly Ebola and Henipah viruses to China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology in March 2019.
Three former top judges had the final say on the public release of the newly released documents, which are partially redacted.
Records show the Canadian Security Intelligence Service assessed that Qiu repeatedly lied about the extent of his work with Chinese government institutions and refused to admit his involvement in several Chinese programs, even when presented with evidence.
CSIS concluded that despite being given every opportunity in her interviews to describe her association with Chinese entities, “Ms. Qiu continued to make blanket denials, feign ignorance, or tell outright lies.”
A November 2020 Public Health Agency of Canada report on Qiu says investigators “weighed the adverse information and agree with CSIS’s assessment.”
Investigators concluded that Qiu’s loyalty “remains of serious concern” due to his direct contact with entities linked to a foreign state.
A Public Health Agency report on Cheng’s activities says he allowed restricted visitors to work in laboratories unaccompanied and on at least two occasions failed to prevent the unauthorized removal of laboratory materials.
The report also says Cheng was not forthcoming about his activities and collaborations with people from government agencies “from another country, namely members of the People’s Republic of China.”
“Dr. Cheng’s actions reflect those of an individual who is careless with the information and assets in his custody and who is neither forthcoming nor truthful when asked about these communications.”
In a statement, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused the Liberal government of allowing the Chinese government and its entities to infiltrate Canada’s high-level laboratory.
“This is a massive national security failure by Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government, which he fought tooth and nail to cover up.”
Health Minister Mark Holland acknowledged that the documents reveal “lax compliance with safety protocols.”
But Holland insisted that at no time did national secrets or information that threatened Canada’s security leave the laboratory.
“I think there was an inadequate understanding of the threat of foreign interference,” he told reporters.
“I think there was a serious effort made to adhere to those policies, but not with the rigor that was required.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2024.