Intelligence officials have been warning the Trudeau cabinet of Chinese interference in Canadian elections, according to a Global News report which prompted the Conservative opposition to call for action..According to investigative journalist Sam Cooper, the prime minister and several cabinet ministers received briefings and memos since January that detail a “vast campaign of foreign interference” from the Chinese government, that included Liberal and Conservative candidates for MP in 2019..The briefings allege payments were made through intermediaries to candidates affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party. Chinese Agents worked in MP’s offices to influence policy and to co-opt and corrupt Canadian officials. China also made efforts to discredit politicians the People’s Republic of China viewed as opposed to its interests..The story was broken due to unnamed sources which wished to remain anonymous because they feared retribution. However, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) confirmed to Global News Chinese interference had been identified and could include “covert funding to influence election outcomes.”.Allegedly, China’s consulate in Toronto directed funds to a network of at least 11 federal election candidates and Beijing operatives among their campaign staffers. About $250,000 was allegedly transferred using a CCP proxy group, an Ontario provincial MPP, and a federal election candidate staffer..The Prime Minister’s Office did not confirm to Global Trudeau received the briefings and did not answer a question on whether stricter rules were needed..“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,” read a statement from the PMO. .“As threats evolve, so must the methods used to address them. That is why the Prime Minister has given the Minister of Public Safety the mandate to improve collaboration between Canadian security agencies.”.That answer didn’t satisfy the Conservative Party, so Foreign Affairs Shadow Minister Michael Chong issued a statement on the party’s behalf. .“It’s long past time for the Trudeau government to come forward with a robust plan to counter Beijing’s foreign interference operations here on Canadian soil… The Trudeau government must do more to protect the Chinese community from the PRC’s threats, and to protect Canadian democracy,” Chong wrote..“It’s clear Beijing spread disinformation in the 2021 federal election campaign through proxies that negatively affected Conservative campaigns in several ridings. It’s also clear in indictments unsealed in U.S. court that Beijing’s agents are operating here on Canadian soil, coercing people to go back to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) by threatening their families in the PRC. … [and] the PRC views Canada as a safe haven for more intensive operations. More recently, reports have revealed the presence of three illegal PRC police stations operating in Toronto and surrounding areas.”.The briefings also said that China began in-depth research on all MPs who voted support in February 2021 for a United Nations resolution that said China committed genocide against Uyghurs. China researched the ridings of the MPs to see what companies were present and if any had economic links to China they could leverage..In April 2021, then-B.C. Conservative MP Kenny Chiu introduced a private member’s bill to call for a foreign influence registry, but the attempt failed. Chiu later lost his seat and complained that WeChat and Mandarin-language media reports characterized him as a racist. He was among a small group of MPs in the September 2021 election who, the briefings allege, felt targeted and feared for their families and reputations..According to the briefings, China ramped up its influence operations in Canada in 2015 under the “United Front Work Department” which seeks influence through politicians, media, business, student, and community groups, while targeting critics and some ethnic groups such as Uyghurs and Tibetans. These networks facilitate interference operations by China’s foreign espionage service, the Ministry of State Security..In 2014, the Toronto District School Board partnered with the Confucius Institute, the state-sponsored culture-education program of China. However, parents, teachers, and students opposed the partnership, which the U.S. State Department identified as an extension of United Front efforts..The briefings allege the Chinese Consulate in Toronto transferred $1 million in 2014 to proxy groups who protested in favour of the continued integration of the program..Regardless, the TDSB severed ties with the organization.
