Security screening mostly ‘unimpeachable’ but ‘there are gaps’: Anandasangaree

“By and large, it is an unimpeachable record. Of course there are gaps here and I recognize that there are gaps, and that’s what I think we need to improve on.”

Vanessa Lloyd, CSIS deputy director, told the committee she could not comment specifically on the suspect but the type of NATO internship she held normally involves a “secret” level of clearance.

The Belgian prosecutor’s office described the suspect as “a Canadian national of Chinese origin.” She was arrested on charges of espionage and participation in a criminal organization in late July.

A federal source not authorized to speak publicly about the issue previously said officials in Canada were proceeding on the basis the suspect is Biwei Zhang — also known as Claire Zhang — who was previously employed by Canadian government agencies.

The suspect is in pretrial detention in Belgium.

Anandasangaree and government officials told the committee they could not answer specific questions about the suspect because they do not want to jeopardize the criminal investigation. The minister added Canadian security officials are co-operating fully with their Belgian counterparts.

The minister said he was first informed of the espionage allegations about a week before they were made public. In a media scrum after the meeting, he said Canadian officials monitored the situation but knew there was no risk to individuals or information before the arrest was announced.

“It was based on the fact that individual was apprehended or was going to be apprehended and there was monitoring by the Belgian authorities. So at that point, I was quite confident that there was no public risk based on that individual,” Anandasangaree said.

“What happened before is something I think is now the subject of the investigation. But from the time I understood and learned about this to the time the formal announcement took place, I was quite comfortable that individual was secured and it would be minimal if no risk to the public.”

Opposition committee members pressed the minister to explain how the espionage suspect was able to get a security clearance despite being found to have committed fraud in 2023.

Court records said the Public Service Commission of Canada found in 2023 that Zhang committed fraud in an appointment process for a position with the Canada Border Services Agency. The Federal Court dismissed her application for judicial review of the decision the following year.

She submitted a letter of apology during the investigation into her actions.

Responding to a question from Ontario Conservative MP Rhonda Kirkland, Anandasangaree said taking part in any kind of criminal offence “could preclude individuals from serving in government.”

Anandasangaree said deputy department heads are responsible for granting security clearances, which can be based on information provided by CSIS and the RCMP.

He said both of those security agencies have submitted recommendations for reforms to his office and he is actively reviewing them.

Anandasangaree said he is not sure whether the espionage suspect still has a security clearance and deferred that question to Global Affairs Canada when asked by media following his testimony.

He also deferred questions about whether there have been any repercussions for the person who granted the espionage suspect a security clearance.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 5, 2026.

— With files from Jim Bronskill.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Security screening mostly ‘unimpeachable’ but ‘there are gaps’: Anandasangaree

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