BREAKING: Ottawa Raises Alarm With Beijing Over Hong Kong Detention of CPC Candidate Joe Tay’s Family
Global Affairs Canada stated it “deplores the decision by Hong Kong authorities to punish people for actions that amount to nothing more than freedom of expression.”
HONG KONG / OTTAWA — Ottawa has “raised its strong concerns directly with both Chinese and Hong Kong authorities” and is monitoring the circumstances surrounding the detention and interrogation of family members of former Conservative election candidate Joe Tay in Hong Kong, Canada’s national intelligence agency confirmed to The Bureau today.
“Global Affairs Canada is aware of Mr. Tay's family members being called in for questioning in Hong Kong. They are tracking the situation closely, and are in contact with Mr. Tay,” a CSIS spokesperson said.
The federal government issued a rare public rebuke, with Global Affairs Canada stating it “deplores the decision by Hong Kong authorities to punish people for actions that amount to nothing more than freedom of expression.”
“It is unacceptable that Hong Kong authorities have placed a bounty on the head of a Canadian citizen,” the CSIS statement added. “Issuing threats and intimidation against a Canadian citizen is transnational repression and will not be tolerated.”
Questioned by The Bureau on the circumstances surrounding the 2025 federal election, CSIS added that “in particular, when intelligence collected spoke to a threat to the safety of any candidate, CSIS shares this information with all relevant law enforcement partners.”
The confirmation of Hong Kong’s actions against Tay’s family follows The Bureau’s reporting that Hong Kong police detained his cousin and the man’s wife for questioning on Thursday in the Fo Tan district. The incident—deemed credible by Canadian and diplomatic sources—appears to be a targeted act of intimidation tied to Tay’s high-profile candidacy in the 2025 federal election.
Tay, 62, ran as a Conservative candidate in Don Valley North and lost by approximately 5,000 votes. He was heavily targeted by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence networks during the election, with PRC-linked WeChat accounts spreading disinformation and narratives portraying Canada as a "refuge for fugitives" if he were elected.
As The Bureau previously revealed, the RCMP advised Tay to suspend in-person campaigning in the final week due to credible threats. The SITE Task Force assessed that Tay was subject to a coordinated foreign interference campaign and broader transnational repression effort.
The rhetoric used to discredit Tay was later echoed by Liberal MP Paul Chiang, who was supported by Prime Minister Mark Carney during the campaign. Chiang’s re-election bid collapsed after The Bureau confirmed that the RCMP had opened a national security review. The RCMP told The Bureau it has opened an investigation into the matter but would not provide further details.
The detentions of Tay’s relatives occurred just 48 hours after Prime Minister Carney’s closed-door meeting in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance.
That Beijing appears determined to continue persecuting Tay’s family—even after his electoral defeat—signals a broader strategic aim and presents an early and consequential test for Carney, who campaigned on defending Canadian sovereignty while opposing Trump’s tariff regime. The timing—days after Carney’s White House meeting—suggests Beijing may be probing Ottawa’s resolve under new leadership.
In their statement, CSIS and Global Affairs Canada warned that transnational repression and foreign interference remain pervasive threats inside Canada, with CSIS and the RCMP dedicating significant resources to countering these efforts. They confirmed that during the 2025 election, the SITE Task Force monitored candidate safety, advised the government, and took active steps to mitigate threats.
CSIS also confirmed that SITE will publish a public post-election report summarizing the threat landscape, interference patterns, and actions taken during the writ period.
The Bureau has previously documented Beijing’s use of family-based intimidation as part of its global enforcement strategy. On April 10, 2025, The Bureau confirmed that the parents of Hong Kong activist Frances Hui were detained by Hong Kong national security police after Hui testified before Canada’s Parliament. Hui, now based in the United States, was previously followed and threatened by an alleged PRC agent who was later indicted—but not convicted—by U.S. authorities.
Tay’s case fits that pattern. The Bureau has learned that a report reviewed by Toronto police during the campaign included a stalking threat involving Tay’s team.
The formal charges against Tay were issued by Hong Kong police in December 2024. According to official documents reviewed by The Bureau, Tay—born 12 December 1962—was charged with incitement to secession and collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security. Authorities allege that between July 2020 and June 2024, Tay operated a platform called HongKonger Station, through which he published “numerous videos inciting secession” and “repeatedly urged foreign countries to impose sanctions” on officials in Beijing and Hong Kong.
The SITE Task Force confirmed these charges were amplified by PRC intelligence-linked media during the Canadian election in an effort to delegitimize Tay and portray his candidacy as a threat to the PRC.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated to note the defendant in the Frances Hui case was not convicted.
CSIS says these actions won’t be tolerated, but what will they do about it?
This is their response? After the elections of course. Carney had to get the wording first from China before the statement was made public of course. 5,000 votes is a simple number where you could clearly call it election interference. Carney is a China shill and if this is them testing how much Trump got into Carney’s head it’s weak attempt as China could have just asked over the weekend in Geneva. Canada is so fucked.