A Canadian Chinese-language television broadcaster will ask the Canadian government today to expel a high-ranking Chinese diplomat over interference in its business operations, a news release from the network says.
Mr. Huang Huikang, the second-ranked official at the Chinese embassy in Ottawa, tried to block New Tang Dynasty Television's entry to Canadian broadcast airwaves, a leaked embassy document obtained by The Epoch Times earlier this month shows (read report Chinese Embassy Tried to Silence TV Network in Canada, Leaked Document Shows ).
NTDTV says the embassy has continually interfered with its attempt to do business in Canada and elsewhere because of its reporting on human rights abuses in China, such as those against Falun Gong, and because the network is critical of the ruling communist party.
"It is still possible for us to knock down NTDTV's attempt to enter the cable television network," Huang wrote in the letter obtained by The Epoch Times dated just after the network applied for a broadcasting license last year.
Huang suggested rallying Chinese-Canadians and overseas Chinese students to write letters to Canada's broadcasting watchdog opposing the NTDTV application and holding an internal embassy meeting to make more plans.
NTDTV believes the actions go beyond the normal protocol of a visiting official.
A press conference is scheduled for Friday mornig at the press gallery inside Parliament in Ottawa.
NTDTV will ask that Huang be declared "persona non grata for his direct and continued interference and attacks against a Canadian business operation here in Canada," according to the news release.
The network will also ask that Chinese Ambassador Lu Shumin be reprimanded for his role.
The embassy document with Huang's writings includes an approval from Lu. NTDTV says it believes the interference it has experienced in Canada has come under Lu's direction.