A Canadian Foreign Ministry official said his ministry summoned the Chinese ambassador "several times" after receiving allegations about the existence of secret Chinese police centers in Canada targeting the Chinese diaspora.

"The Canadian government has officially insisted that the Chinese government, including the ambassador and his embassy, report all their activities in Canada that fall outside the scope of the Vienna Convention and ensure their immediate cessation," said Weldon Epp, Director General for Northeast Asia at the Canadian Foreign Ministry, before a committee of the House of Commons on Tuesday evening, according to a report yesterday by the Canadian Press.

In response to the Conservative Party (official opposition) spokesperson on Public Safety, MP Raquel Dancho, Epp clarified that the government reserves the right to take "other decisions" depending on China's reaction.

The Canadian diplomat refused to provide further details publicly.

For his part, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau again evaded answering all questions posed to him about this issue directly, including whether he was aware of the existence of these Chinese police centers before the human rights organization "Safeguard Defenders" publicly spoke about them, and what options Canada is considering if China does not close them.

According to the non-governmental organization "Safeguard Defenders," headquartered in Spain, three of these Chinese offices located abroad are in the Greater Toronto Area. However, the Chinese Embassy in Canada stated that these offices are run by volunteers assisting Chinese citizens abroad with some transactions, such as renewing driver's licenses, for example.

Also, Conservative MP Pierre Paul-Hus said he was surprised to receive the news this way within a parliamentary committee after the government had classified all matters related to Chinese interference in Canada as "top secret" for weeks, including matters related to a potential attempt to interfere in the federal elections.

On Tuesday, the federal police confirmed that they are investigating "interference activities by foreign entities" and that the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs is following up on this matter in an effort to clarify the nature of the efforts allegedly made by China to influence the 2019 federal general elections.