The head of a British Columbia-based group that says it is a B次元官网网址渘on-politicalB次元官网网址� organization helping Chinese integrate into Canadian society travelled to Beijing to meet President Xi Jinping at a government conference this week.

Chinese state media videos and photos show Canadian Community Service Association president Niu Hua attending the B次元官网网址�10th Conference for Friendship of Overseas Chinese Associations,B次元官网网址� hosted by the state councilB次元官网网址檚 overseas Chinese affairs office.

Niu is seen applauding with the group on Monday during XiB次元官网网址檚 entry to the conference, which state media says involved representatives from 130 countries, and is also seen in a group picture with the Chinese leader.

Chinese state media says Shi Taifeng B次元官网网址� head of the Chinese United Front Work DepartmentB次元官网网址檚 central committee B次元官网网址� told conference attendees that they serve as B次元官网网址渁n important bridge and bondB次元官网网址� between China and the rest of the world.

Shi told the groups they are B次元官网网址渇resh troopsB次元官网网址� in ChinaB次元官网网址檚 effort to develop a B次元官网网址渟hared future for mankindB次元官网网址� as part of the B次元官网网址済reat rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.B次元官网网址�

Niu has not responded to requests for comment, but his Chinese-language WeChat social media account shared state-media depictions of the meeting and photographs of him outside the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square, where the meeting with Xi took place.

The Canadian Community Service Association says on its website that it was established in 2002 to promote integration and B次元官网网址渢he spirit of community serviceB次元官网网址� among Chinese and other multicultural communities, organizing activities such as fundraising drives for natural disasters.

It says it is B次元官网网址渘on-profit, non-religious, and non-political,B次元官网网址� and has nearly 20,000 members.

In March, the group hosted a banquet to welcome new Chinese consul general Yang Shu to Vancouver.

In January, it staged a spring festival gala attended by an array of Canadian federal, provincial and municipal politicians, several of whom spoke at the event and posed for photos with Niu.

One of the speakers at the January event, Senator Yuen Pau Woo, questioned whether there was a racial component to any concerns about NiuB次元官网网址檚 presence at the meeting with Xi.

B次元官网网址淒id you hear that hundreds of Canadians met with President Biden on his recent visit to Canada, including numerous heads of non-political organizations?B次元官网网址� Woo said in a written response.

B次元官网网址淲ould you ask the same question if a Caucasian Canadian head of a non-political organization B次元官网网址� say the president of a business group or a university B次元官网网址� went to Beijing and met with President Xi?B次元官网网址�

On Monday, Canada declared Toronto-based Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei B次元官网网址減ersona non grataB次元官网网址� after the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said he was involved in a plot to intimidate Conservative MP Michael Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong.

China responded by declaring Canadian diplomat Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, a consul in Shanghai, B次元官网网址減ersona non grataB次元官网网址� and asked her to leave the country before May 13.

B次元官网网址擟huck Chiang, The Canadian Press

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