For Vancouver businessman Michael Ching, a victory in long battle to remain in Canada leads to settlement

A Canadian tribunal has ruled that China’s allegations against Michael Mo Yeung Ching have not been established, paving the way for a settlement of Ching’s defamation lawsuit against the South China Morning Post and putting him on the path to Canadian citizenship.

For Vancouver businessman Ching, the victory comes almost 20 years after first applying for citizenship, and many years of related litigation.

Ching and the South China Morning Post settled his defamation lawsuit against the newspaper and reporter Ian Young about coverage of his story in 2015 without any admissions of liability.

In an interview this week, Ching revealed a June 12 Immigration and Refugee Board ruling that said Canadian immigration authorities failed to show he had committed any criminal acts in China.

SCMP Managing Editor Brian Rhoads said the Post was pleased to report this important development about Ching, and to resolve the Post’s legal case with him.

Canadian authorities had long tried to block Ching’s citizenship application on the basis of now-discredited Chinese allegations against him.