The Chinese government reprimands Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart. This time, it comes after a Chinese newspaper quoted Stewart as saying he supported US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taiwan. Last fall, then-Consul General Tong Xiaoling publicly reprimanded Stewart for considering a friendly relationship with Taiwan’s second-largest city, Kaohsiung. Tong completed a nearly five-year term at the end of July. But last week, an unnamed spokesman at the People’s Republic of China consulate in Vancouver called Stewart’s comments to Sing Tao Daily on Aug. 3 “ridiculous and unacceptable.” In the story, translated into English, Stewart said “[Pelosi] he is a politician who has long supported democratic, free human rights. Her decision is correct.” He also told a reporter that he wants to visit Taiwan. A statement on the Chinese consulate’s website told Stewart to “be careful with his words and actions on Taiwan-related issues and focus on resolving his livelihood and security [Vancouver] citizens, especially to eliminate hate crimes and discrimination against Asians’. “Don’t waste your time to gain fire for Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, China, exploit the Taiwan issue to gain personal political interests, and don’t play with fire on the Taiwan issue and send wrong messages to the separatist forces of “Taiwan Independence”, otherwise those who play with fire will get burned.” The latter phrase echoed President Xi Jinping’s words in a July 28 call with US President Joe Biden, who has pledged to stand up for Taiwan. Pelosi’s visit sparked live-fire war games by China’s navy and air force off Taiwan’s coast and in Taiwan’s airspace. China has also imposed sanctions on Taiwanese businesses and suspended climate change talks with US foreign ministers of G-7 countries, including Canada, criticized China for its “unnecessary escalation”. Stewart said in 2021 he would not meet with Chinese government officials after Beijing imposed sanctions on several members of parliament, including his friend and Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong. China’s move comes in retaliation for the Canadian government’s sanctions against several senior officials after the House of Commons declared that China is committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims. In the Sing Tao story, Stewart said that he is critical of the Chinese government, but has no prejudice against the Chinese people and treats all citizens equally. He also said he would be willing to talk to the mayor of Guangzhou, Vancouver’s Chinese sister city. “I simply choose not to meet with Chinese government officials,” he said. Stewart’s office has not returned a call for comment. In late May, Canadian Security Intelligence Service agents warned Stewart that the Chinese government could interfere in the October 15 municipal elections. The Chinese Communist Party maintains an official program called the United Front Work Department, which aims to influence foreign countries through state disinformation, hacking, espionage, political co-opting, and intimidation of the Chinese diaspora. CSIS Director David Vigneault has singled out the governments of Russia and China as the primary threats to Canada’s national security. “Efforts by foreign states to target politicians, political parties and electoral processes in order to covertly influence Canadian public policy, public opinion and ultimately undermine our democracy and democratic processes represent some of the highest concerns,” Vigneault told his speech in 2021. The United Nations has only recognized mainland China since 1971, and mainland China considers Taiwan a rebel province. Xi has threatened to use force to take control of Taiwan, an independent, democratic country with a free press and 23 million people living on a land about the size of Vancouver Island.