<![CDATA[Canadian ads blasted Hong Kong 'radicals', invoking blood loyalty to China. Was Beijing's United Front involved?]>

They include dozens of Chinese fraternal organisations, business groups and even clubs devoted to stamp collecting, robotics and ice wine appreciation.

But the 208 Canadian Chinese groups that were signatories to recent newspaper advertisements in Vancouver denouncing "radical" Hong Kong protesters may also have included groups linked to the Chinese government's "United Front" work " its overseas campaign of influence and outreach into the Chinese diaspora.

That is according to Jun Ing, a director and vice-president of the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver, the Chinatown umbrella organisation that placed the ads in local editions of the Chinese-language newspapers Ming Pao and Sing Tao.

Even so, he said, such groups had a right to be heard.

A combination image shows an ad placed by the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver (left) in Sing Tao and Ming Pao's Vancouver editions on June 21; and an ad placed by the group HKCOSA in Ming Pao's Toronto edition on June 16. The CBAV ad denounces "radical" Hong Kong protesters, while the HKCOSA ad condemns actions that would "destroy the prosperity and stability" of Hong Kong. Photos: Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver; handout alt=A combination image shows an ad placed by the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver (left) in Sing Tao and Ming Pao's Vancouver editions on June 21; and an ad placed by the group HKCOSA in Ming Pao's Toronto edition on June 16. The CBAV ad denounces "radical" Hong Kong protesters, while the HKCOSA ad condemns actions that would "destroy the prosperity and stability" of Hong Kong. Photos: Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver; handout

"I do not dispute there may be the so-called front organisations in [the] list of names but CBA did not solicit their participation," he said by email, later clarifying that he was referring to United Front groups.

The ads condemned violence at the protests in Hong Kong on June 12, blaming "a small number of radicals".

The protests were among a series of demonstrations drawing hundreds of thousands of people " organisers estimated the one on June 16 drew two million " opposed to a proposed bill that would allow extradition to China. The bill has been suspended, but many protesters want it completely withdrawn, fearing it represents a mainland Chinese incursion on Hong Kong's autonomy.

The CBAV's ads invoked blood loyalty among overseas Chinese, saying they were "obliged to unite with the Hong Kong residents and not to be taken advantage of by the separatist forces".

They also opposed "the interference of any foreign forces", calling the Hong Kong unrest "an internal affair of China".

Fenella Sung, convenor of the Canadian Friends of Hong Kong, a group which has been broadly supportive of the protests, said the advertisements listed most of the groups that she and others suspected of carrying out United Front work in Canada, although others seemed innocuous.

China's consulate-general in Vancouver did not respond to an emailed request for comment on the ads. But in a statement posted on its website on June 19, the consulate denied meddling in Canadian affairs by trying to influence local Chinese community groups.

"It must be pointed out that such accusations distort truth," the statement said.

In a telephone interview, Ing said he "wouldn't be surprised" that some groups named In the ad had been accused of United Front ties.

Jun Ing, vice-president and director of the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver. Photo: Handout alt=Jun Ing, vice-president and director of the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver. Photo: Handout

"There are differences of opinion [about Hong Kong], it has really divided up the community ... In the Canadian democratic society [we] have to learn to respect each other's opinions," he said. "We don't have to agree on the same issue ... this is what's so great about Canada."

The advertisements placed by the CBAV on June 21 provoked a sharp backlash from diaspora Chinese who supported the protesters, pushing long-standing differences over Hong Kong's fate into the spotlight of Canada's mainstream English-language media.

Sung said she objected to invoking racial unity to rally people against the protesters.

"Normally you wouldn't think that could be an argument: 'the reason why you should think like this is because of your blood'. That is really problematic, especially for second-generation Canadians here," she said.

Canada has 1.8 million people of Chinese ancestry, making them the largest non-white ethnic group. In Vancouver, 500,000 people claim ethnic Chinese heritage, including 188,000 mainland immigrants and 72,000 from Hong Kong.

The ads say: "As ethnic Chinese and overseas Chinese people residing in Canada, we are all the children of Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang [two of China's mythic founders], we belong to the same Chinese nation, based on the idea of blood being thicker than water, patriotism and love of our homeland, we are paying a close attention to the development of the current Hong Kong situation, we are obliged to unite with the Hong Kong residents and not to be taken advantage of by the separatist forces."

Ing said that while he expected differences about the ad within the Chinese diaspora, the CBAV had placed ads of a similar nature before, and he was now "taken aback" by the level of negative reaction.

He was also surprised that non-Chinese media had noticed. "We didn't think [non-Chinese] Canadians were interested," he said, adding that he was upset the CBC did not allow him on air to rebut the criticism.

Spectators watch the 2014 Lunar New Year parade in Vancouver. The event is organised each year by the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver. Photo: Reuters alt=Spectators watch the 2014 Lunar New Year parade in Vancouver. The event is organised each year by the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver. Photo: Reuters

."

Other groups listed on the ad as signatories, including an array of Chinese Freemason groups, have histories almost as old.

But scores of the signatory groups were formed relatively recently, part of a mushrooming of organisations claiming to represent various sectors of Canada's Chinese community. Ing said that "this proliferation only happened in the recent years, with the immigrants from the mainland".

The Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver building (left) in Chinatown in 1973. Photo: City of Vancouver Archives alt=The Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver building (left) in Chinatown in 1973. Photo: City of Vancouver Archives

The list appears to include at least 72 fraternal, Freemason, or Chinese region-based umbrella groups, based on their names, websites and various online presences; another 28, at least, appear to be trade or business-related groups, although there is some overlap.

A protest outside the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver in August 1977, as part of a rift that would lead to pro-Taiwan groups abandoning the organisation. Photo: City of Vancouver Archives alt=A protest outside the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver in August 1977, as part of a rift that would lead to pro-Taiwan groups abandoning the organisation. Photo: City of Vancouver Archives

Ing said the CBAV was ultimately beholden to its members, and the recent ads were an expression of that.

"They approached us and said 'I don't think this [situation in Hong Kong] is right, is there something we can do, to express our views?'" he said.

"Our role is, if our members want us to speak on their behalf, then of course, we will take a look at the situation and see whether it is warranted or not."

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

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