Who is Jennifer Zeng, the journalist who claimed China was involved in Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing?

Amid ongoing India-Canada tensions, an independent blogger has claimed that China was involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.Jennifer Zeng added that the “purpose was to frame India creating discord between India and the West.”The astonishing claim comes at a time when diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Ottawa hit an all-time low after Justin Trudeau linked Nijjar’s assassination to India.Additionally, tensions between the neighbours are also on the rise, especially after China released a new map including parts of Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh in its own country.With the fresh allegations, the ongoing debate about Nijjar's murder and the relationship between India and Canada has now taken on a new facet.Also read: What is the China funding row, linked to the NewsClick raids?Who is Jennifer Zeng?Jennifer Zeng is a Chinese human rights activist and journalist based in New York, United States.Born in Sichuan Province, China, in 1966, she earned a Master of Science in Geochemistry from Peking (Beijing) University in 1991. She was employed as a research fellow at the Development Research Centre of the P.R.C. State Council until 1996. Later, she worked for Tsinghua Unigroup's Investment Consulting Company as a consultant and the manager of the investment division, according to her website Jenniferzengblog.com.She was subjected to four arrests as the Chinese Communist Party cracked down on Falun Gong in 1999, and she was given a one-year labour camp term. In September 2001, she flew to Australia, where she was given refugee status two years later. In 2011, Jennifer relocated to the United States under a journalist visa.According to the website, Zeng became a member of the International Press Association in April 2023.She is known for providing first-hand knowledge and original insights into China and the Chinese Communist Party. Her blog name is Inconvenient Truths, which aims “at offering authentic, fastest, uncensored first-hand information from inside China, as well as unique in-depth analysis and insights about China’s current affairs and politics.”The 56-year-old's most well-known works include a book titled Witnessing History: One Chinese Woman's Fight for Freedom and Falun Gong.In addition, Zeng took part in the acclaimed film Free China: the Courage to Believe.Also read: How the India-Canada diplomatic row could cost Ottawa $700 million in 2024What did she say?Taking to the microblogging site, Zeng shared a video where she referred to the killing of Nijjar as an “assassination.”She claimed, “Today shocking revelations about the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada have emerged from within the CCP. It is alleged that the assassination was carried out by CCP agents.”“Lao stated that in early June this year as part of their disruption initiative ‘Ignition Plan’, the CCP Ministry of State Security sent a high-ranking official to Seattle, USA. A secret meeting was held there… The objective was to sabotage relations between India and the West,” Zeng claims, adding, “The agents were tasked with assassinating Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Sikh leader in Canada. Following the meeting, the CCP agents meticulously executed the killing plan.”She explained Bejing’s modus operandi.“On 18 June, the agents armed with silenced guns tracked Nijjar. When the deed was done, they destroyed the dash camera in Nijjar’s Car to erase any evidence. After the crime, the agents fled, they burned their weapons and disguises to destroy all traces. The next day they left Canada in Airplanes,” she claimed.Zeng added that the killers learned Indian-accent English. “Therefore, they purposely spoke in Indian accent English… In fact, these actions were part of the scheme by CCP secret agent to frame India.”Neither the Ministry of External Affairs nor the Chinese Foreign Ministry have responded to Zeng's allegations.Also read: Who killed Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar? The new ISI link, revealedIndia-Canada rowThe diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Ottawa turned sour after Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau publicly leveled suspicions that Indian agents were involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in a Vancouver suburb.Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead by unidentified gunmen outside a Sikh temple on 18 June.India had designated him as a “terrorist” three years earlier.Trudeau told parliament on 18 September that Canada was “actively pursuing credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the killing of Nijjar. India dismissed Trudeau’s assertion as “absurd” on 19 September. Both countries expelled diplomats and sent them to their homelands.India urged its citizens in Canada to exercise caution in a statement on 20 September, as the US, Australia, and Britain expressed concerns about the issue.New Delhi also suspended issuing new visas for Canadians on 22 September and asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in India.Canadian lentil sales to India slowed after tensions rose between the two nations, industry sources in both countries told Reuters. Canada is India’s main import source of lentils, a protein-rich staple.Canada has moved a majority of its diplomats working in India outside of New Delhi to either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, according to PTI.The move comes after India asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic staff in the country by more than half, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.With inputs from agencies