Alexandre Trudeau defended the donation of $1 million to the Trudeau Foundation by two businessmen affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party and dismissed allegations of foreign interference in a recent hearing before the House of Commons Ethics Committee. The donations to the Foundation and the Université de Montréal had led to the resignation of several directors. Zhang Bin and Niu Gensheng, the donors, were linked to the China Cultural Industry Association, which Rosenberg, the former CEO of the foundation, called a “soft power” organization for Beijing. The donation was technically made by Millennium Golden Eagle Canada, a company owned by Zhang, affiliated with a Beijing-backed firm and also tied to the CCIA. It was made to honor the legacy of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, former Canadian Prime Minister who opened up diplomatic relations with China in the 1970s. Alexandre Trudeau was a director at the time the donation deal was made. The donation issue came to light in 2016 after Zhang attended a cash-for-access fundraiser with other Chinese billionaires.