On Monday, amid reports of a sweeping campaign of foreign interference during Canada’s 2019 federal election, Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau warned that China and other countries have been playing “aggressive games” with democracies.
“We have taken significant measures to strengthen the integrity of our elections processes and our systems, and we’ll continue to invest in the fight against election interference, against foreign interference of our democracy and institutions,” Trudeau told reporters in Montreal.
Sources tell Global News Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was warned by Canadian Intelligence that China is allegedly targeting Canada with a sweeping campaign of foreign interference – including trying to influence a recent election. pic.twitter.com/mMMU4FWq4F
— Global BC (@GlobalBC) November 7, 2022
Trudeau’s response came after an investigative report by Global News found that China covertly funded a clandestine network of at least 11 candidates during the 2019 federal election, including paying candidates associated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through mediators and placing agents in the offices of Members of Parliament (MPs) to influence policy.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) briefed Trudeau and other senior officials about how China was attempting to subvert Canada’s democratic process. They also alleged that the Chinese Consulate in Toronto secretly transferred roughly $250,000 to the 11 candidates and some of its staff members via an Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) and a federal election candidate staffer. However, sources said that the intelligence service could not conclude whether China’s efforts were successful in influencing the results.
One of the instances that the CSIS mentioned during its briefings was the February 2021 vote on declaring China’s treatment of Uyghurs a genocide in the United Nations (UN). Following the vote, Chinese agents ran a comprehensive background check on all the members who voted in favour and then targeted them—one of them being Asian-Canadian MP Kenny Chiu, who was labelled a “racist” and an “anti-Asian.”
“The Chinese Communist Party […] is using all elements of state power to carry out activities that are a direct threat to our national security and sovereignty,” CSIS stated.
5. @csiscanada has not been as vocal and forward-leaning as their colleagues in @FBI and the MI5 in warnings about PRC interference and United Front Work Department political influence operations. However in response to questions from my investigation, CSIS provided significant;
— Sam Cooper (@scoopercooper) November 7, 2022
The intelligence service also declared that China conducts more foreign interference campaigns than any other country, noting that threats to Canada increased in 2015, when Chinese President Xi Jinping’s United Front increased its network overseas. Experts believe that countries like China, Iran, and Russia have been taking advantage of Canada’s outdated espionage laws, mounting massive interference campaigns through loopholes.
Furthermore, Spanish human rights group Safeguard Defenders recently claimed that three of China’s 50 overseas police stations are in Ottawa. The facilities are used to conduct operations and force Chinese citizens, particularly dissidents, to return to China in order to face criminal charges.
Last month, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said it is investigating reports of “criminal activity in relation to so-called ‘police’ stations.” However, China has denied all accusations of illegal activity by saying the stations merely offer services like driver’s license renewals to Chinese citizens who were unable to return to the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Monday, Trudeau cited the creation of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians in 2018 and highlighted that Ottawa is “constantly working with our intelligence committees and officials” to improve national security. “We will continue to make the investments and changes necessary to both hold up our rights, our freedoms and our values as Canadians while keeping us safe from those who would do harm to those values and rights and freedoms,” Trudeau asserted, adding, “The world is changing and sometimes in quite scary ways, and we need to make sure that those who are tasked with keeping us safe every single day are able to do that.”
Canadian intelligence officials warned Trudeau that China has allegedly been targeting Canada with a vast campaign of foreign interference — including funding 11 federal candidates running in2019 election, according to sources. #cdnpoli
— Kamil Karamali (@KamilKaramali) November 7, 2022
Story: https://t.co/37JcU9nxTg pic.twitter.com/QwaElXzH6S
In a similar vein, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) remarked, “Protecting Canadians’ security is our top priority. Threats, harassment, or intimidation of Canadian citizens are unacceptable, and all allegations of interference are investigated thoroughly by our security agencies,” adding that Trudeau has “given the Minister of Public Safety the mandate to improve collaboration between Canadian security agencies.”
Ties between Canada and China have taken a severe downturn since 2018, when authorities in Vancouver arrested Chinese telecom giant Huawei Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Meng Wanzhou over a bank fraud warrant issued by then-United States (US) President Donald Trump. In retaliation, Chinese authorities arrested former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor for endangering state security and indicted them in June 2020 on espionage charges.
China has also reacted strongly to Trudeau’s criticism of the East Asian giant’s “coercive diplomacy.”
Furthermore, just as Canada has condemned China’s actions in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, China has criticised Canada’s relationship with its Indigenous population.
Instead, they turn it around and accuse Conservatives of being racist & sinophobic. In fact, it’s Chinese-Canadians who are most at risk right now. And this government is sitting on its hands. When will they get serious? Why haven’t they allowed my bill S-237 to move forward? 2/2
— Senator Leo Housakos (@SenatorHousakos) November 7, 2022
In January 2021, the United Kingdom and Canada accused China of engaging in human rights violations against religious and ethnic minorities in Xinjiang and announced new regulations to ban imports of goods suspected to be a product of forced labour. A few months later, in June 2021, when Trudeau called China out for its “systemic abuse and human rights violations” against Uyghur Muslims and crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong and Tibet, China urged the UN to launch an independent investigation into Canada’s crimes against Indigenous children in former residential schools.
Trudeau, however, was undeterred, and in December 2021 announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics Games over human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
China has also pushed back against what it perceives as maritime aggression. In September, China condemned a joint US-Canada patrolling mission in the Taiwan Strait, with Chinese Senior Colonel Shi Yi stressing that the military is “on high alert at all times to resolutely counter any threat and provocation, and safeguard China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Canada facing ‘aggressive games’ from China, others amid interference report: Trudeau https://t.co/zVtPaheq5b (As he repeats the same hollow assurances, he steers clear of the very grave and ambitious operation mounted by China for which we were and are unprepared)
— David Mulroney (@David_Mulroney) November 7, 2022
In fact, in June, China defended its military pilots for protecting the country’s sovereignty and national security, and threatened Canada with “grave consequences” if it did not refrain from making any “provocative moves,” after Ottawa accused the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of performing actions that put the Royal Canadian Armed Forces (RCAF) aircrew’s safety at risk.
Trudeau, for his part, has said that while “we’re going to have to continue to challenge China,” the two sides must also find avenues for cooperation, particularly with regards to climate change.