BEIJING, May 5. /TASS/. China’s foreign ministry has slammed allegations that Chinese diplomats intimidated a Canadian lawmaker as defamation.

"The Canadian side is making groundless accusations, defaming the Chinese diplomatic mission, which is doing its work as usual. We express our categorical displeasure and strong protest over this matter," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday.

According to the spokeswoman, the Chinese foreign ministry has already made a serious presentation to the Canadian side to outline its position on this matter. Mao Ning noted that the allegation about the intimidation of a Canadian lawmaker "is based on prejudice" and should be seen as "political noise."

She recalled that this Canadian lawmaker had come under China’s sanctions two years ago for spreading false information about the human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and stressed that China’s countermeasures were "absolutely right and justified."

"Employees of the Chinese diplomatic mission in Canada always comply with international conventions and have been doing their job with due respect for the law," she said. "China will take the necessary measures and will firmly defend its interests."

Canada’s Globe and Mail daily reported on Thursday that the Canadian foreign ministry had summoned Chinese Ambassador Cong Peiwu in light of Canadian intelligence reports that a Chinese diplomat was involved in intimidating Michael Chong, a Conservative Canadian MP, and his family members who are living in Hong Kong. In 2021, Beijing imposed sanctions against him after the Canadian parliament had recognized the genocide of the Uyghur population in China.