The Immigration Refugee Board (IRB) has ordered a Chinese woman be deported over her alleged involvement in a foreign interference sting.

Jing Zhang, who worked for the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office (OCAO), influenced Canada’s Chinese diaspora from 2008 to 2019, according to the IRB.

The 32-page decision into the ruling contends China uses the OCAO to silence dissent abroad, and "remains involved in espionage against targeted individuals and groups in Canada." China’s critics often face gruelling intimidation, harassment and extortion from Beijing, who expressed concern for the safety of family members abroad.

Global Affairs Canada refrained from taking action on foreign interference allegations against China after WeChat, a Chinese social media platform, did not respond to officials.

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As reported by True North, the OCAO is tasked with eliminating "potential threats and rival discourses" that undermine Communist China.

As the OCAO director of public relations, later serving as the director of overseas liaison, Zhang travelled abroad to engage with "target groups," including Uyghur Muslims and Taiwanese nationals. Other target populations included students, prominent individuals, government personnel, and businesspersons, wrote the IRB. 

"Her activities and target populations demonstrate that she was fulfilling the objectives of the OCAO and its implementation of qiaouw," it added, otherwise known as a Marxist-Leninist tactic to exploit dissidents. Zhang vehemently denies being an OCAO member.

Foreign interference inquiry set to begin Monday with first public hearings

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While the IRB issued her deportation order last August it only became public after Ottawa’s foreign interference inquiry commenced Monday. 

"The evidence establishes that a key role of the OCAO has been intelligence gathering on dissidents and ethnic minorities external to China," wrote the IRB.

The Canadian Border Security Agency also alleged the organization engaged in "covert action" to manipulate the Chinese diaspora. 

Additionally, an RCMP investigation into alleged Chinese police stations in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, remains ongoing.

This is a developing story.