Han Dong, who now sits as an independent having left the Liberal Party on Wednesday, has strongly denied the claims against him, and vowed to clear his name. The incident is the latest in a series of rows over Chinese influence in advanced Western democracies, amid talk of a 'New Cold War' between Beijing and Washington.
Allegations against Dong first surfaced in Global News, which quoted anonymous security sources who claimed the Liberal member of parliament had asked Han Tao, China's Toronto consul-general, to delay the release of two Canadian nationals.
