Colin MacLeod is the author of the provocative book “The Case for Alberta’s Independence,” and the force behind @cnm5000 on X.When Prime Minister Mark Carney stood in Beijing last month to announce a new "Strategic Partnership," he spoke of stability and pragmatism. But for those of us watching the fine print, one document stands out as a glaring threat to Canadian sovereignty: the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on cooperation between the RCMP and China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS).While the Liberal government frames this as a necessary tool to fight fentanyl and money laundering, the sheer level of secrecy surrounding the deal suggests a far more dangerous entanglement. In the halls of Parliament and among diaspora communities, the question isn't just what we’re cooperating on — it’s why the Carney administration is terrified to let Canadians see the rules of the game.Is this deal "Pragmatic Engagement" or a “Trojan Horse”?The MOU is ostensibly designed to “strengthen law enforcement cooperation” in three key areas. Firstly, it focuses on narcotics, particularly addressing the flow of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Secondly, it targets cybercrime by tackling telecommunications fraud and digital theft. Lastly, it aims to combat financial crime by focusing on transnational money laundering networks.On the surface, these are noble goals. But the MPS is not a standard police force; it is the primary arm of the Chinese Communist Party’s internal security apparatus — the same body responsible for "Operation Fox Hunt" (whose purported aim is to capture or harass political dissenters), as well as the establishment of illegal overseas police stations on Canadian soil..Why the great wall of secrecy? Why the silence?Despite repeated calls from opposition MPs Michael Chong and Frank Caputo, this Liberal government has officially deemed the MOU "confidential." Unlike trade deals, which at least offer high-level summaries, the operational protocols of this police pact remain locked in a vault. If you are not deeply disturbed by this, you should be.The government’s excuse is predictable: "operational security" and the "sensitivity of diplomatic relations." However, this lack of disclosure masks a deeper failure. By refusing to publish the full text, the government has failed to provide any public evidence of safeguards that prevent the RCMP from inadvertently sharing data on Canadian dissidents under the guise of "criminal investigations." Or oversight mechanisms. For example, we do not know who, if anyone, monitors the "bilateral working groups" to ensure they don't become pipelines for Chinese intelligence.Or any indication of jurisdictional boundaries. It remains unclear whether this MOU grants Chinese "liaison officers" increased access to Canadian information, territory, or security and intelligence databases..The backlash has been swift and severe. The critics of this MOU have spoken out, and we really need to pay attention. Diaspora groups, particularly the Hong Kong Watch and various Uyghur advocacy organizations, have expressed "profound alarm." For those who fled Communist China’s reach in Asia, seeing the RCMP shake hands with their former oppressors is nothing short of a betrayal.Former RCMP senior officer Garry Clement and other security experts warn that the MPS uses "cooperation" as a cover for transnational repression. Without a public list of "no-go" zones, critics fear the RCMP could be tricked into assisting in the "return" of political targets labelled as "financial criminals" by Beijing.The mere existence of a secret police pact creates a "trust crisis." If a Hong Kong-Canadian activist believes the RCMP is sharing information with Beijing, they stop reporting threats. They stop speaking to the media. They disappear from the democratic process. In effect, the Carney government is outsourcing the silencing of its own citizens.The timing of this is particularly galling. Justice Hogue’s inquiry into foreign interference recently concluded that China’s activities in Canada are "real and persistent." To sign a secret police pact with the very entity accused of that interference is, as one critic put it, "inviting the fox to help guard the hen house.”.Carney is asking Canadians to trust his "Strategic Realism." But in a democracy, trust is earned through transparency, not demanded through NDAs.By keeping the RCMP-MPS MOU in the dark, the government is effectively saying that the safety of our diaspora communities and the integrity of our national security are secondary to "smooth" relations with Beijing. Until the full text of this agreement is tabled in the House of Commons, Canadians must assume the worst, which is that our national police force has been handed a script written in Beijing.Colin MacLeod is the author of the provocative book “The Case for Alberta’s Independence,” and the force behind @cnm5000 on X.
