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       Canadian Lawmaker Testifies Chinese Students Were Bused In to Elect Him

       Han Dong, a member of Parliament who is accused of benefiting from the Chinese government’s help, testified at a public hearing on foreign interference.

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       Han Dong’s testimony was part of an ongoing federal inquiry into foreign meddling in Canada’s political system, especially the general elections of 2019 and 2021. Credit...Rene Johnston/Toronto Star, via Getty Images

       By Norimitsu Onishi

       Reporting from Montreal

       Published April 2, 2024Updated April 3, 2024, 10:26 a.m. ET

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       A member of Canada’s Parliament testified on Tuesday that high school students from China were transported by bus to vote for him in a party election that is at the center of a federal inquiry into interference in Canadian elections by China and other foreign countries.

       Testifying during a public hearing in Ottawa, the Parliament member, Han Dong, a Chinese-Canadian politician formerly from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party, said that he had met and sought the support of the students from a private high school in 2019, but that he did not know who had chartered or paid for the bus on the day of the election.

       A Canadian intelligence report disclosed during the hearing said there were indications that a “known proxy agent” of the Chinese Consulate had provided the students “with falsified documents to allow them to vote” even though they did not reside in Mr. Dong’s electoral district.

       Noncitizens over the age of 14 can register and vote in party elections as long as they show proof they live in an electoral district.

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       According to the report, there were also indications that the Chinese Consulate had coerced the students to back Mr. Dong by issuing “veiled threats” related to their visas and their families back in China.

       The Chinese Embassy has consistently denied interfering in Canadian politics.

       Mr. Dong’s testimony was part of an ongoing federal inquiry into foreign meddling in Canada’s political system, especially the general elections of 2019 and 2021. The inquiry was called after a series of intelligence leaks to the Canadian news media indicated that the Chinese government had interfered in both elections by supporting candidates favorable to its policies and by undermining its critics.

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       A correction was made on April 3, 2024

       : An earlier version of this article misidentified the court affiliation of Marie-Josée Hogue. She is a Court of Appeal justice, not a Superior Court justice.

       When we learn of a mistake, we acknowledge it with a correction. If you spot an error, please let us know at nytnews@nytimes.com.Learn more

       Norimitsu Onishi is a foreign correspondent on the International desk, covering Canada from Montreal. He previously served as a correspondent in the Paris bureau, and as bureau chief for The Times in Johannesburg, Jakarta, Tokyo and Abidjan, Ivory Coast. More about Norimitsu Onishi

       A version of this article appears in print on April 3, 2024, Section A, Page 6 of the New York edition with the headline: Canadian Lawmaker Testifies China Helped Get Him Voters. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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