Former British Columbia lawmaker and deputy speaker of the BC government says he was detained by China in 2015, had his government phone searched, and was accused of "endangering national security".

Lee also details further pressure on him in Canada:

In the absence of any explanation of China’s action against him, Lee says he believed he must have been blacklisted by the PRC, for ignoring repeated warnings about commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre.

The warnings had come directly — according to Lee — from Liu Fei, China’s then-consul general in Vancouver. But the consulate’s warnings were also relayed, Lee said, through the B.C. Liberal party.

“On one occasion the consul general, Liu Fei, she told me directly I should not attend the commemoration of the June 4 services,” Lee said. “And she complained to some of my colleagues that I should not (attend June 4 services). Inside the party, they informed me that they had been told by the consul general, I should not do this.”

Lee told Global News that he’s reluctant to name the B.C. Liberals that relayed the Chinese consulate’s warnings to him. But he pointed to a senior B.C. Liberal government minister, and said the party caucus had a number of meetings regarding Liu’s statement.