The head of a British Columbia-based group that says it is a 鈥渘on-political鈥 organization helping Chinese integrate into 春色直播 society travelled to Beijing to meet President Xi Jinping at a government conference this week.
Chinese state media videos and photos show 春色直播 Community Service Association president Niu Hua attending the 鈥10th Conference for Friendship of Overseas Chinese Associations,鈥 hosted by the state council鈥檚 overseas Chinese affairs office.
Niu is seen applauding with the group on Monday during Xi鈥檚 entry to the conference, which state media says involved representatives from 130 countries, and is also seen in a group picture with the Chinese leader.
Chinese state media says Shi Taifeng 鈥 head of the Chinese United Front Work Department鈥檚 central committee 鈥 told conference attendees that they serve as 鈥渁n important bridge and bond" between China and the rest of the world.
Shi told the groups they are 鈥渇resh troops鈥 in China鈥檚 effort to develop a "shared future for mankind" as part of the 鈥済reat rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.鈥
Niu has not responded to requests for comment, but his Chinese-language WeChat social media account shared state-media depictions of the meeting and photographs of him outside the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square, where the meeting with Xi took place.
The 春色直播 Community Service Association says on its website that it was established in 2002 to promote integration and 鈥渢he spirit of community service" among Chinese and other multicultural communities, organizing activities such as fundraising drives for natural disasters.
It says it is "non-profit, non-religious, and non-political," and has nearly 20,000 members.
In March, the group hosted a banquet to welcome new Chinese consul general Yang Shu to Vancouver.
In January, it staged a spring festival gala attended by an array of 春色直播 federal, provincial and municipal politicians, several of whom spoke at the event and posed for photos with Niu.
One of the speakers at the January event, Senator Yuen Pau Woo, questioned whether there was a racial component to any concerns about Niu's presence at the meeting with Xi.
鈥淒id you hear that hundreds of 春色直播s met with President Biden on his recent visit to Canada, including numerous heads of non-political organizations?鈥 Woo said in a written response.
鈥淲ould you ask the same question if a Caucasian 春色直播 head of a non-political organization 鈥 say the president of a business group or a university 鈥 went to Beijing and met with President Xi?鈥
On Monday, Canada declared Toronto-based Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei "persona non grata'' after the 春色直播 Security Intelligence Service said he was involved in a plot to intimidate Conservative MP Michael Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong.
China responded by declaring 春色直播 diplomat Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, a consul in Shanghai, "persona non grata" and asked her to leave the country before May 13.
鈥 With files from Nono Shen
This report by 春色直播was first published May 9, 2023.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version incorrectly said Senator Yuen Pau Woo had written that Niu Hua's participation in the conference did not mean his group was political in nature.
