A Canadian news website has registered with the federal Foreign Influence Commissioner after publishing sponsored articles intended to build public support for the Chinese government's domestic policies.The Canada Files, an online publication known for its criticism of Israel and Canadian foreign policy, became the first China-sponsored news organization to register under Bill C-70, An Act Respecting Countering Foreign Interference.Blacklock's Reporter said federal records confirm the publication accepted an arrangement involving Chinese interests to publish material promoting Beijing's political agenda.“The Canada Files published two pieces of sponsored content,” said a notice issued by the Office of the Foreign Influence Commissioner.“Objective: To have more Canadians be supportive of China’s management of its domestic political affairs,” the notice stated.Under federal foreign interference legislation, registration is mandatory for media organizations acting at the direction of, for the benefit of or in association with a foreign entity when their activities fall within the law's disclosure requirements.The publication did not disclose how much it received for the sponsored material. Bill C-70 does not require registrants to reveal the financial value of such arrangements.The Canada Files describes itself as an independent publication specializing in investigations and commentary about Canada's international relationships.“The Canada Files is the country’s only news outlet focused on Canadian foreign policy,” the publisher wrote on its website.“We’ve provided critical investigations and hard-hitting analysis on Canadian foreign policy since 2019 and need your support.”.The website has also published strongly worded criticism of Israel, including commentary condemning the country's military operations in Gaza.One article published in 2024 referred to “the monsters in Tel Aviv” and accused Israel of committing atrocities.“Israel’s attack on Gaza remains a holocaust, and no amount of rampaging across the region to provoke Iran changes that,” the commentary stated.The article also called on Canada to block weapons sales to Israel, revoke the charitable status of organizations supporting the Israeli Defence Forces, prosecute Canadians fighting for Israel and suspend bilateral military cooperation.The foreign influence registration comes amid concerns raised by Conservative MPs about the federal government's ability to identify and disclose Chinese influence activities in Canada.During an October 6 meeting of the House affairs committee, Conservative MP Blaine Calkins (Ponoka-Didsbury, Alta.) questioned the pace of the registry's implementation.Calkins pointed to Prime Minister Mark Carney's comments during the 2025 federal election identifying China as Canada's leading national security threat.“In the 2025 election the Prime Minister said the biggest threat to Canadians’ national security was the People’s Republic of China,” Calkins told the committee.He said concerns about Chinese interference in Canadian elections and domestic politics were central to Parliament's decision to establish the foreign influence registry.“The whole debate about whether or not we needed this registry was in large part due to the foreign interference studies conducted by this committee and others about interference from the People’s Republic of China in Canada’s elections and our domestic affairs,” said Calkins..Concerns about Beijing's efforts to influence Canadian media were also documented during the federal inquiry into foreign interference.In 2024, the Commission on Foreign Interference released a confidential Canadian Security Intelligence Service memorandum describing how Chinese authorities sought to shape public opinion through traditional news outlets and digital platforms.“The Chinese Communist Party controls narratives by limiting opportunities for dissenting voices,” said the Intelligence Memorandum.“This includes traditional media such as newspapers and new media provided by online platforms and apps,” the document stated.CSIS identified two central themes in China's international messaging: discrediting critics of Beijing and portraying China's political system as a successful model for other countries.“Two mutually reinforcing messages in its external propaganda are the undermining of ‘anti-China’ forces abroad while upholding China as a successful model for other nations and thus demonstrating the Chinese Communist Party’s competency,” said the memorandum.The registration of The Canada Files provides a publicly disclosed example of China-sponsored material appearing in Canadian online media under the federal foreign influence reporting system.Registration itself is a disclosure requirement and does not establish that a publication has engaged in illegal foreign interference.
