A top-secret report from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) showed China views Canada as a “high-priority target” and uses both “incentives and punishments” to influence politicians, business leaders, and Chinese communities.. China .The report provides an overview of how the Chinese government interferes in Canada, including investigating the relatives of a Conservative MP in China and harassing a Chinese student who spoke out in support of democracy in Hong Kong, reported the Globe and Mail..The report People's Republic of China (PRC) Foreign Interference in Canada: a Critical National Security Threat provides several examples of Chinese influence operations targeting the Conservative Party and says these operations are a significant national security threat to Canada..The CSIS's reporting from 2021 showed that the Chinese intelligence agency, the ministry of State Security (MSS) “has taken specific actions to target Canadian MPs” connected to the February 2021 parliamentary motion condemning China's oppression of Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities. This motion declared China's actions to be genocidal..The anonymous national-security source told the Globe and Mail that the MP whom the MSS targeted was Conservative MP Michael Chong and that Chinese diplomat Wei Zhao was involved..“I am profoundly disappointed to find out through a Globe and Mail report that the Trudeau government knew two years ago a PRC diplomat, working out of the consulate in Toronto, was targeting my family in Hong Kong,” wrote Chong in a public letter..“The government did not inform me that a diplomat was targeting my family, nor did the government take any action to expel the diplomat responsible for orchestrating this intimidation campaign.”.Chong is confused as to why Zhao still has diplomatic credentials..“In fact, the latest diplomatic and consular list of accredited diplomats provided by Global Affairs Canada shows that this diplomat, Mr. Wei Zhao, is still approved by the government to work in Canada,” wrote Chong..“It is obvious and dumbfounding that the government continues to turn a blind eye to the threat of foreign interference.”.“What happened should be a wake-up call for the whole of government. An authoritarian state targeted the family of an elected MP to try to change the course of a domestic debate about our country’s foreign policy, and the government knew this and did nothing,” wrote Chong..“The Trudeau government’s inaction suggests they will not protect Canadians of differing political viewpoints from the threat activities of authoritarian states.”.“This is more evidence of the PRC’s meddling in Canadian democracy and more evidence for Ottawa to take immediate action,” Chong said..“To date, we’ve not had a single Chinese diplomat that’s been expelled. To date, we’ve not had a single individual charged because of this foreign interference.”.Chong expressed frustration that the Trudeau government has yet to call a public inquiry into foreign interference and the only information came from whistleblowers..According to the report, the Chinese government is Canada's primary source of foreign interference..The report also warns that Chinese agents operate without fear of consequences due to the absence of obstacles such as a foreign-influence registry, similar to the ones established in the United States and Australia..The lack of such a registry in Canada makes it easier for foreign agents to operate without being detected..It is unclear whether elected officials in Canada had access to the report..The report was produced by the Intelligence Assessment Branch of CSIS and is dated July 20, 2021, several weeks before the start of the federal election campaign..The report serves as a “baseline for understanding the intent, motives and scope” of the Chinese government's foreign interference in Canada..The Globe and Mail obtained a copy of the nine-page report, marked as top secret and intended only for Canadian eyes..The report is the most recent example of several warnings issued by Canada's security service in recent years that identify a problem and propose a solution..The report warns that without “real disincentives” to deter foreign interference, such as a foreign-influence registry and indictments of those responsible for foreign interference, Chinese targeting of Canada is “expected to continue and increase over time.”.“Threat actors almost certainly perceive their activities in Canada to be low-risk and high-reward,” said the assessment..The CSIS's report reveals that China considers Canada a key target because of its membership in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance with the United States, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand..China believes that Canada's reputation can be exploited to legitimize the interests of the Chinese Communist Party..As a result, Canada has become a primary target for Chinese foreign interference and espionage activities, a significant national security concern..The report states that China attempts to influence Canadian politics and policies to prevent Canadian governments from supporting what it perceives as “problematic” US administration policies..According to the report, the Chinese Consulate in Calgary attempted to influence a prominent Conservative MP by using a third party as an intermediary. Similar attempts were made with senior officials from the Conservative Party in Ottawa and Montreal..China targets political staffers as they are often the “gatekeepers” for MPs, “thereby placing them in a position where they can deceptively control and influence the activities of elected officials in ways that support PRC activities.”.In October 2020, a former MP employee was fired after passing information to a “person of high interest” in the MSS..“The confidential information included details on the elected official’s activities, donor information, as well as office logistics and other staffers. Moreover, the former employee manipulated the official’s schedule to ensure the MLA attended certain unspecified events,” the CSIS document said.
