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鈥淭his is a uniquely important election with so much at stake for Canadians,鈥� Chiang wrote.

鈥淎s the Prime Minister and Team Canada work to stand up to President Trump and protect our economy, I do not want there to be distractions in this critical moment. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 standing aside as our 2025 candidate in our community of Markham-Unionville.鈥�

His announcement came after Liberal Leader Mark Carney stood by his candidate earlier Monday despite calling Chiang鈥檚 remarks 鈥渄eeply offensive鈥� and a 鈥渢errible lapse of judgment.鈥� Carney said Chiang had apologized and referred to the situation as a 鈥渢eachable moment.鈥澛�

On Tuesday, Carney said that Chiang offered to step down Monday night and that he accepted his decision.聽

鈥淎s I said yesterday, his comments were deeply, deeply troubling and regrettable. We will move on with looking for a new candidate for Markham, and I鈥檒l leave it at that,鈥� Carney told reporters.

Backlash against the former MP first began last Friday, after it emerged that he had made controversial comments to Chinese-language newspaper Ming Sheng Bao during an event he held in his constituency office with diaspora media outlets in January.

In discussing his potential Conservative rival, Joe Tay, Chiang referred to a HKD$1 million bounty (about C$184,000) Hong Kong police had placed on Tay, and told the outlet that anyone present at the event could collect that bounty if they brought Tay to the Chinese consulate general in Toronto.

At the time, Tay had been seeking the Conservative party鈥檚 nomination in Chiang鈥檚 riding. He is now running in Don Valley North.

On Friday, Chiang posted on X that his comments were 鈥渄eplorable,鈥� particularly given his former career as a police officer.聽

鈥淚 will always continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Hong Kong in their fight to safeguard their human rights and freedoms,鈥� he wrote.

Tay is a pro-democracy activist and the co-founder of an NGO called HongKonger Station, an online platform for people from Hong Kong living in Canada to express themselves freely and better integrate into Canadian life.

Last year, the Associated Press reported that Hong Kong police had issued arrest warrants for several activists wanted for alleged national security offences, including Tay. China has imposed national security laws on Hong Kong that have been condemned as infringements on freedoms and human rights. The Canadian government has also criticized the laws, stating that they have led to the suppression of open debate.聽

罢补测鈥檚 refers to the 鈥渙utrageous arrest warrant and bounty鈥� issued against him, and says he will not tolerate 鈥渢his attempt at transnational repression and intimidation.鈥�

Chiang鈥檚 exit means the Liberals have just under a week to nominate a new candidate in the riding, which Chiang took from the Conservatives in 2021 by a margin of fewer than 2,500 votes.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre suggested Tuesday that Chiang only stepped aside because of an RCMP probe looking into the matter, and not because Carney directed him to.

鈥淢r. Carney will never put our country first,鈥� Poilievre said.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Tuesday that Carney demonstrated a “failure of leadership” by not immediately axing a candidate who he said had essentially encouraged an act of foreign interference.

Chiang鈥檚 remarks and Carney’s decision to back him had prompted criticism from opposition parties and Hong Kong advocacy organizations.

On Monday, Ed Simpson, the interim director of Hong Kong Watch, called on the RCMP to investigate the matter.

鈥淲e believe that Mr. Chiang鈥檚 comments may cross into criminality, and must be investigated by Canadian law enforcement authorities,鈥� Simpson wrote to RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme.

Simpson argued that Chiang鈥檚 conduct 鈥渨ould appear to fit within the parameters of counselling to commit the indictable offence of kidnapping,鈥� and also referenced the foreign interference law passed last year, which makes it聽 an offence to induce or attempt to induce 鈥渂y intimidation, threat or violence, any person to do anything or to cause anything to be done鈥� for the benefit of a foreign entity.聽

The RCMP said in an email, prior to Chiang鈥檚 departure, that it was 鈥渓ooking into the matter,鈥� but that 鈥渘o specific details can be provided at this time.鈥�

鈥淚f there are criminal or illegal activities occurring in Canada that are found to be backed by a foreign state, it is within the RCMP鈥檚 mandate to investigate this activity,鈥� the statement read.聽

Chiang said Monday that he had spoken to Tay to 鈥減ersonally apologize鈥� for his remarks.

In response, Tay said Chiang had made an 鈥渦nsolicited attempt鈥� to contact him, but that he now fears for his safety and that 鈥渘o apology is sufficient.鈥�