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Chinese government influence is at play in the counter-protest movement against Hong Kong pro-democracy supporters, including in Vancouver, according to some China experts, although the extent of their involvement is difficult, if not impossible, to quantify.

Vancouver saw duelling protests over the weekend as two events organized by pro-Hong Kong supporters at Broadway-City Hall SkyTrain Station and outside the Chinese consulate drew a vocal contingent of counter-protesters waving Chinese flags.

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“We know the consulate is encouraging the pro-government segment to be more vocal,” said Leo Shin, a Chinese cultural historian and professor at the University of B.C.

“It is very difficult to prove, but we know that the Chinese consulate has been cultivating ties among the various Chinese community organizations in Vancouver and elsewhere in Canada.”

These ties don’t come with blatant quid pro quos, but with subtle and unspoken requests of support for the Chinese regime, which is mindful of the importance of public opinion, explained Shin.