We have 176 Chinese diplomats in Canada. China has 178 in the United States. Why are they paying so much attention to Canada? To a large extent, it's because we have a very large diaspora. There are 1.4 million Canadians who have roots in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
They are attempting to use the diaspora as an extension of what they call the motherland and to have the diaspora support the position that the Chinese government takes on all kinds of issues, and certainly not do anything to undermine it. To the extent that they speak out against threats that their families have had or criticize regime politics and efforts, that can come back badly on them. They need to be able to speak behind closed doors, which a public inquiry would allow.