Western Jurisprudence at work: Studying while Chinese is by definition spying. This is beyond parody. Canadian judge rules that Chinese student bioengineering is doing “non-traditional spying” 西方法理學的作用：在中國人學習的時候就定義了間諜活動。 這超出了模仿的範圍。 加拿大法官裁定中國學生生物工程系從事“非傳統間諜活動”

https://nitter.net/TheCanadaFiles/status/1743008285689610619#m

Chinese student who wanted to study engineering at University of Waterloo, barred from entering Canada. Judge claimed without evidence that his post-studies plan fits definition of ‘non-traditional’ espionage.

The student wanted to help improve the use of technology in China’s public health field after graduation.

https://nitter.net/RnaudBertrand/status/1743144257970737288#m

A Chinese student was barred from studying in Canada by a federal court judge for “espionage” for the simple fact that his topic of study – microfluids, a subject with applications in the health and pharma industry – is a promising high tech field.

This stretches the legal definition of espionage so broadly it’s ridiculous: now if you study something abroad in an innovative field, you’re a spy! All the more ridiculous that we’re speaking here about biomedical research: literally humanity as a whole benefits from progress in medical research, no matter where that progress comes from…

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-court-china-spy-university-waterloo-1.7074365

“As hostile state actors increasingly make use of non-traditional methods to obtain sensitive information in Canada or abroad, contrary to Canada’s interests, the court’s appreciation of what constitutes ‘espionage’ must evolve,” he wrote in his December 22 decision, made public this week.

“Whether or not Mr Li is or could be a spy is neither here nor there. I think that it’s beyond reasonable debate that the Chinese, both in Canada and in allied countries, have used universities as a means of acquiring intellectual property of use to their military,” he said.

“They are stealing the intellectual property of Canadian businesses, universities and governments – the very essence of our future prosperity,” he said in a speech delivered at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.

“No one should be under any illusion about the breadth of [China’s] efforts to infiltrate our political systems, our private sector, government institutions, universities and communities from coast to coast to coast. This is not just a Vancouver or Toronto issue. It’s an all-of-Canada one.”

Fadden, a former CSIS director, said it’s past time to consider sealing off some areas of study from foreign adversaries, including nuclear technologies, high-level optics and space research.

Can you imagine if the shoe were on the other foot? If China accused US graduate students of spying just for studying a specific subject? If China charged students who didn’t return as double agents?