Fired scientists in Canada failed to protect sensitive information, newly released records say

Two scientists at Canada’s top infectious disease laboratory lost their jobs after reviews found they failed to protect sensitive assets and information, and failed to acknowledge collaborations with China, newly released records show.

The scientists, Xiangguo Qiu and her husband, Keding Cheng, were stripped of their security clearances in 2019 at Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory over questions about their loyalty to Canada and the potential for coercion or exploitation by a foreign entity, the documents say.

More than 600 pages were made public Wednesday five years later following a special all-party review of the records.

The records show Canada's spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, assessed that Qiu repeatedly lied about the extent of her work with institutions of the Chinese government and refused to admit involvement in various Chinese programs, even when evidence was presented to her.

Opposition parties hoped the documents would shed light on why Qiu and Cheng were escorted out of Winnipeg’s National Microbiology Laboratory in July 2019 and subsequently fired in January 2021. The two have not publicly commented and are reportedly in China.

Three former senior judges had the final say on public disclosure of the newly disclosed documents, which are partially redacted.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service concluded that, despite being given every opportunity in her interviews to describe her association with Chinese entities, “Ms. Qiu continued to make blanket denials, feign ignorance or tell outright lies.”

A November 2020 Public Health Agency of Canada report on Qiu says investigators “weighed the adverse information and are in agreement with the CSIS assessment.”

Investigators concluded that Qiu’s loyalty “remains of grave concern” due to her direct contact with the entities linked to a foreign state.

A Public Health Agency report on Cheng’s activities says he allowed restricted visitors to work in laboratories unescorted and, on at least two occasions, did not prevent the unauthorized removal of laboratory materials.

The report also says Cheng was not forthcoming about his activities and collaborations with people from government agencies “of another country, namely members of the People’s Republic of China.”

“Dr. Cheng’s actions reflect those of an individual who is careless with information and assets in his custody and not forthcoming and truthful when questioned about these communications.”

Health Minister Mark Holland said Wednesday the documents revealed a “lax adherence to security protocols.”

But Holland insisted that at no time did national secrets or information that threatened the security of Canada leave the lab.

“I think that there was an inadequate understanding of the threat of foreign interference,” he told reporters. “I believe that an earnest effort was made to adhere to those policies, but not with the rigor that was required."