Arrested NATO intern has history of fraud, was ordered to take ethics course
A Canadian NATO intern, Claire (Biwei) Zhang, has been arrested in Belgium on suspicion of spying for China. It was revealed she previously committed fraud while applying for Canadian public service jobs, raising questions about security vetting processes.
Why it matters
The case highlights significant vulnerabilities in international security clearance protocols and concerns regarding foreign espionage within Western defense organizations.
Prior to her internship at NATO, Claire (Biwei) Zhang worked in public-service roles, including at Statistics Canada. YVES HERMAN/Reuters
A Canadian NATO intern arrested in Belgium on suspicion of spying for China was ordered by a federal watchdog to take a course in ethics after being found to have committed fraud in applying twice under two slightly different identities for a public service job.
Claire (Biwei) Zhang, a Canadian of Chinese origin, worked in public service roles, including at Statistics Canada, before taking up the NATO internship at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, known as SHAPE, in Mons near the French border.
She was found to have acted dishonestly by submitting two applications from different e-mail addresses, with slightly different identifying names, for a role with the Canada Border Services Agency, according to federal court documents.
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