Canadian engineer Biwei Zhang arrested in Belgium on NATO espionage charges

One outlet used open-source methods to identify the woman Belgian prosecutors described as a “Canadian national of Chinese origin” intern at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe as Biwei Zhang, a systems engineer with prior roles at the Canadian Space Agency, Statistics Canada and the National Research Council. After searching her home and the SHAPE office, Belgian officials arrested her on charges of espionage and participation in a criminal organization, keeping her in pre-trial detention for at least a month.

Her LinkedIn, Facebook and Threads accounts, where she also used the names Claire Zhang and Catina Zhang, match the timeline of internships in Mons, Geneva and a WTO posting. The incident has raised questions about Canada’s vetting procedures, leading Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree to order a review of her past federal employment. Former CSIS officer Dan Stanton noted that intern positions can be a security weak point for organisations like NATO. The European Space Agency and Global Affairs Canada declined to comment on the specific case.