View source for George Chow

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{For|the Canadian veteran|George Chow (soldier)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix    = [[The Honourable]]
| name                = George Chow
| honorific_suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|MLABC|size=100%}}
| native_name         = {{nobold|周烱華}}
| image               = George Chow.jpg
| ialt                = 
| caption             = Chow in 2017
| office              = Minister of Citizens' Services
| term_start          = February 20, 2024
| term_end            = 
| premier             = [[David Eby]]
| predecessor         = [[Lisa Beare]]
| successor           = 
| office1             = Minister of State for Trade of [[British Columbia]]
| term_start1         = July 18, 2017
| term_end1           = December 7, 2022
| premier1            = {{plainlist|
* [[John Horgan]]
* [[David Eby]]
}}
| predecessor1        = ''Position established''
| successor1          = [[Jagrup Brar]]
| constituency_AM2    = [[Vancouver-Fraserview]]
| assembly2           = British Columbia Legislative
| term_start2         = May 9, 2017
| term_end2           = 
| predecessor2        = [[Suzanne Anton]]
| successor2          = 
| office3             = [[Vancouver City Council]]lor
| term_start3         = November 19, 2005
| term_end3           = December 5, 2011
| birth_name          = 
| birth_date          = 1950 or 1951
| birth_place         = China
| residence           = [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]], Canada
| party               = [[British Columbia New Democratic Party|BC NDP]] (provincial)
| otherparty          = [[Vision Vancouver]] (municipal)
| profession          = 
| spouse              = 
| children            = 
| alma_mater          = [[University of British Columbia]]
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| t = 周烱華
| s = 周烱华
| j = Zau1 Gwing2 Waa4
}}

'''George Chow''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|MLABC}} ({{lang-zh|t=周烱華}}) is a Canadian politician. He was elected to the [[Legislative Assembly of British Columbia]] in the [[2017 British Columbia general election|2017 provincial election]], representing the riding of [[Vancouver-Fraserview]]. A member of the [[British Columbia New Democratic Party]] (BC NDP), he has served in the cabinets of [[Premier of British Columbia|Premiers]] [[John Horgan]] and [[David Eby]]. Since February 20, 2024, Chow is the Minister for Citizens' Services.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |date=20 February 2024 |title=Eby announces new roles for three B.C. MLAs |url=https://www.cheknews.ca/eby-announces-new-roles-for-three-b-c-mlas-1191649/ |work=CHEK |language=en-CA}}</ref> Previously, he was the Minister of State for Trade from 2017 to 2022.

Prior to entering provincial politics, Chow served two terms as a [[Vancouver]] [[Vancouver City Council|City Councillor]], elected as a member of the [[Vision Vancouver]] party in 2005 and 2008.<ref name="city">[http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/mayorcouncil/councillor/chow.htm "Councillor George Chow"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202071515/http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/mayorcouncil/councillor/chow.htm |date=December 2, 2010 }}, ''Vancouver City Website'', Accessed August 29, 2009.</ref>

==Background==
Chow was born in China<ref name=city /><ref name=vanob /> in either 1950 or 1951, and emigrated to Canada from Hong Kong in 1965 at the age of 14 and settled in Vancouver.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.deeplocal.us/go776a/Visions_George_Chow__ChinatownDTES_Native_Son___ |title=Vancouver Observer: Vision's George Chow: Chinatown/DTES Native Son |access-date=2011-05-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324062711/http://www.deeplocal.us/go776a/Visions_George_Chow__ChinatownDTES_Native_Son___ |archive-date=2012-03-24 }}</ref>  His father was a cook, and his mother a farm worker.<ref name="vanob">[http://www.thevancouverobserver.com/go776a/Visions_George_Chow__ChinatownDTES_Native_Son___ "Vision's George Chow: Chinatown/DTES Native Son"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130204084450/http://www.thevancouverobserver.com/go776a/Visions_George_Chow__ChinatownDTES_Native_Son___ |date=2013-02-04 }}, ''[[Vancouver Observer]]'', December 11, 2008.</ref>  After immigrating, Chow grew up in the [[Downtown Eastside]].<ref name="city"/>  He initially enrolled at [[William Dawson School]] and then transferred to [[Britannia Secondary School]].<ref name="vanob"/>  He went on to complete a degree in mechanical [[engineering]] at the [[University of British Columbia]].<ref name="vanob"/>

Prior to his election to the provincial legislature, Chow worked at [[BC Hydro]] for over 30 years, where he worked part-time when he was a councillor.<ref name="city"/>

He was actively involved with the building of the Chinese Cultural Centre in Vancouver's Chinatown during the 1970s and 1980s. He also served on many community organizations as a volunteer including: the Urban Spirit Foundation, Vancouver Public Library Board, Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver, Boys and Girls Clubs of South Coast BC, Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver, Vancouver Chinatown Merchants Association, S.U.C.C.E.S.S., and various family associations.

==Political career==
===Vancouver City Council===
He first ran for council as an independent in [[2002 Vancouver municipal election|2002]] because of his opposition to the proposed safe injection site in the Downtown Eastside near [[Vancouver Chinatown|Chinatown]].<ref name="vanob"/>  Chow reassessed his position on the [[Insite|safe injection site]] following its 2003 opening<ref>[https://thetyee.ca/News/2005/10/19/GeorgeChow/ "The Conversion of George Chow"], ''[[The Tyee]]'', October 19, 2005.</ref> and was subsequently recruited by [[Vision Vancouver]] to join its slate for his successful [[2005 Vancouver municipal election|2005 campaign]].<ref name="city"/>  He was re-elected for a second term in [[2008 Vancouver municipal election|2008]].<ref>[http://vancouver.ca/electionresults2008/#20 "Election Results: November 15, 2008"], ''Vancouver City Website'', Accessed August 29, 2009.</ref>

===Provincial Legislature===
During the [[2013 British Columbia general election]], Chow contested the seat for [[Vancouver-Langara]], a constituency which has only returned Liberal MLAs since its creation in 1991. The incumbent, [[Moira Stilwell]], was viewed as vulnerable due to her aborted leadership campaign and subsequent demotion from cabinet. Chow was unsuccessful in his bid, losing to Stilwell by over 2700 votes (24%).

In the [[2017 British Columbia general election]], Chow contested [[Vancouver-Fraserview]], a swing riding which has consistently elected MLAs from the party that formed government since its creation in 1991 and a launching pad for numerous high-profile candidates from both major parties. Chow defeated incumbent Attorney General [[Attorney General of British Columbia|Suzanne Anton]]. Like his three immediate predecessors, Chow was elevated to cabinet at the first shuffle after his election. He was re-elected in [[2020 British Columbia general election|2020]], the first time the constituency re-elected its MLA.

Chow was one of the few caucus members who did not formally endorsed David Eby in the [[2022 British Columbia New Democratic Party leadership election|2022 NDP leadership contest]]. In December 2022, Chow was demoted from cabinet by newly appointed Premier [[David Eby]] and served on the backbench for the first time. When asked about Chow's demotion, the Premier noted that Chow would take on "a leadership role" in addressing the homelessness crisis in Downtown Eastside and Chinatown instead.<ref name="BIV" />

In January 2024, Eby appointed Chow as Parliamentary Secretary for International Credentials, a non-cabinet position under the Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills [[Selina Robinson]], with a mandate to expedite recognition of international credentials and workforce deployment of workers with such credentials.<ref>[https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/government/ministries-organizations/premier-cabinet-mlas/minister-letter/psfs_-_international_credentials_-_chow.pdf "Mandate Letter"], ''[[Premier of British Columbia]]'', January 15, 2024.</ref> Prior to this appointment, the minister was assisted by a Minister of State.

On February 20, 2024, Chow returned to cabinet as the Minister of Citizens' Services, succeeding [[Lisa Beare]].<ref name=":0" />

===Controversies during Tenure as Minister of State for Trade===
Chow served as Minister of State for Trade between 2017 and 2022, under the minister responsible for economic development affairs [[Bruce Ralston]], [[Michelle Mungall]], and [[Ravi Kahlon]]. His tenure overlapped with a period of dramatic deterioration of [[Canada–China relations|Sino-Canadian relations]], and Chow attracted numerous controversies for his perceived close relationship with [[Chinese Communist Party]] and its supporters.

In December 2018, a week after [[Huawei]] CFO [[Extradition case of Meng Wanzhou|Meng Wanzhou was arrested at Vancouver International Airport on behalf of the U.S]], Chow took a personal trip to [[Guangdong]] and met with Chinese officials of the [[United Front Work Department]],<ref>[https://thebreaker.news/news/chow-in-china-again B.C. cabinet minister in China while Huawei CFO intrigue unfolded], ''The Breaker'', December 16, 2018</ref> despite his reporting minister having cancelled another minister's participation of another trade mission that same week.<ref>[https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018JTT0049-002373 Minister's statement on rescheduling China leg of forestry trade mission], ''Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology'', December 9, 2018</ref>

During the 2020 election, [https://nobcforxi.weebly.com/ #NoBCforXi], a coalition of pro-Hong Kong, Uyghur and Tibetan human rights activists, deemed Chow to be “CCP leaning”.

A month after Meng was released, Chow appeared at an October 2021 event at [[Jack Poole Plaza]] hosted by organizations with direct links the United Front Work Department to celebrate the countdown to the [[2022 Winter Olympics|2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing]] and the [[Golden Week (China)|Chinese National Day Golden Week]]. A spokesperson of the BC Government stated that Chow's appearance was not in his capacity as a government minister but as an MLA and member of the Chinese community, despite him being introduced as a minister during his appearance.<ref>[https://biv.com/article/2021/10/bc-minister-not-minister-when-chinese-communist-party-events-ministry B.C. minister not a minister when at Chinese Communist Party events: Ministry], ''Business in Vancouver'', October 14, 2021.</ref>

In December 2022, less than a week prior to his demotion from cabinet and in the wake of rare protests in China and Vancouver calling for Chinese President [[Xi Jinping]]’s resignation, Chow attended the BC-Guangdong Economic and Trade Summit, hosted by the [[Canada China Business Council]], and sat beside the newly arrived Chinese Consul General to Vancouver at the head table.<ref name="BIV">[https://biv.com/article/2022/12/ndp-trade-minister-switch-signals-alignment-federal-strategy-emphasize-india NDP trade minister switch signals alignment with federal strategy to emphasize India], ''Business in Vancouver'', December 7, 2022.</ref>

==Electoral record==
{{2024 British Columbia general election/Vancouver-Fraserview}}
{{2020 British Columbia general election/Vancouver-Fraserview}}
{{2017 British Columbia general election/Vancouver-Fraserview}}
{{2013 British Columbia general election/Vancouver-Langara}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927175816/http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/councillors/chow.htm George Chow]
* [https://thetyee.ca/News/2005/10/19/GeorgeChow/ TheTyee.ca: The Conversion of George Chow]

{{s-start}}
{{Canadian federal ministry navigational box header |ministry=John_Horgan}}
{{ministry box cabinet posts
| post1preceded = [[Teresa Wat]]
| post1         = Minister of State for Trade
| post1years    = July 18, 2017–December 7, 2022
| post1note     = 
| post1followed = [[Jagrup Brar]]
| post2preceded = [[Lisa Beare]]
| post2         = Minister of Citizens' Services
| post2years    = February 20, 2024–Present
| post2note     = 
| post2followed = ''Incumbent''
}}
{{s-end}}

{{British Columbia MLAs}}
{{Horgan ministry}}
{{Eby ministry}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chow, George}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:British Columbia New Democratic Party MLAs]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Chinese descent]]
[[Category:Hong Kong emigrants to Canada]]
[[Category:Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of Canada]]
[[Category:University of British Columbia Faculty of Applied Science alumni]]
[[Category:Vision Vancouver councillors]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian municipal councillors]]