The NDP'S candidate for Richmond Centre says his past as a member of the Chinese Communist Party is being used unfairly as a smear campaign.
"Currently I am not a member of the Chinese Communist party."
Frank Huang says he severed his ties with the Communist Party in the year 2000 after he immigrated to BC. Huang says it is not unusual to belong to the Communist Party in China, especially if you work in the media.
"Everyone knows that this is the situation in China because this is the political system in China. If you are working in the government everyone was expected to join the party." Huang also admits to working as a freelance journalist for Chinese government media.
He says he is the victim of an unfair personal attack from the Liberals.
The retired director of the David Lam Centre says he has no concerns over Huang's past as a member of the Communist Party. Professor Emeritus Jan Walls says in china for any career success, especially in journalism, being a member of the Communist Party is mandatory.
"They want their report to be paid for and published, it is only going to be paid for if it is published right. Also you know they know the code words that every reader of Chinese newspapers or media know they can't really come out and say this but if you use these code words everybody will get your message. I wouldn't be worried about that at all."
Walls says Chinese immigrants come to Canada to escape the constraints of the communist system. He says it is unfair for Chinese immigrants to be judged by having once been a Communist Party member.