Beijing's Espionage and Interference in Canada

"Most people in the Chinese community are thinking Chinese influence is so  huge,they can say nothing to oppose it."

"They cannot say 'no' to the Chinese influence, because our government [government of Canada] is so weak, so inactive on that foreign influence."

"I am very pessimistic. So far I have no hope."

"They [the Five Eyes intelligence allies; U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand + Canada] are going to start looking at us as a security risk. And for us, that is a real problem."

Victor Ho, former editor of Sing Tao Vancouver edition 

"Unfortunately, we're seeing countries, state actors from around the world, whether it's China or others, are continuing to play aggressive games with our institutions, with our 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."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

"Russia and China are not just looking at regime survival but regime expansion."

"They consider themselves to be at war with the West ... They strive to destroy the social cohesion of liberal democracies and the credibility of our own institutions to ensure our model of government is seen as a failure."

Chief of the Canadian Defence Staff, General Wayne Eyre

"CSIS [Canadian Security Intelligence Services] has raised it [the issue of foreign interference in Canada's internal affairs] repeatedly."

We have this situation where ... CSIS is warning that these activities are going on and we have no way of stopping them."

Dennis Molinaro, former national security analyst, legal studies professor, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa 

Former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu says he lost his seat because of China's interference in the 2021 federal election. Photo by Jason Payne/Postmedia

 

The issue is one long acknowledged to be the reality in Canada -- as indeed it is becoming increasingly clear something similar is happening elsewhere; in the U.S., Europe, Australia -- where an intelligence alert warns of a foreign government exerting influence; in Canada several provincial cabinet ministers have been involved in actually supporting China's position in Canada. Debate ensues but it is criticism for the CSIS director who in exasperation at government inaction, stated such claims publicly.

One of the provincial cabinet ministers involved and identified publicly remains in his position, with no other action contemplated at present. This is no new revelation, it happened ten years ago. And this week another report surfaced in the media that the Canadian Security Intelligence Services (CSIS) alerted the Prime Minister's Office recently to the presence of an extensive campaign of interference in Canadian politics by Beijing. 

Chinese diplomats had seen fit to support eleven candidates in the 2019 federal election, viewing them as having a favourable attitude toward China. Funding valued at $250,000 was slipped to their campaigns through a member of the Ontario legislature, sympathetic to China. Chinese-Canadian community activists loyal not to Beijing but to Canada, along with security experts consider the situation an echo of their own repetitive warning from the intelligence community. Despite which the alarms raised appear unlikely to generate remedial action from the federal government.

Little sign can be seen on the horizon that the federal government has any plans to institute a foreign-agent registry such as those that are in effect in the United States and Australia, much less anti-foreign influence legislation similar to Australia's. Word of all this reaching Beijing had China reacting with disapproval where a government spokesman urged Canada's prime minister to make no further comments guaranteed to harm relations between the two countries.

 

Beijing is inordinately fond of lecturing other governments when they look askance at obvious Chinese penetration of foreign governments.As well as vocal criticism of the Chinese Communist Party wagging Beijing's tail.

Chinese President Xi Jinping made it quite clear years ago that he has expectations of Chinese expatriates living abroad as citizens of other countries, to adhere to their ethnic origins and recognize a responsibility to work subversively in the interests of the Chinese Communist Party to prove their loyalty to Xi. The work performed abroad by the United Front Work Department charged with covertly extending Beijing's influence overseas is viewed by Chinese loyal to countries of residence and citizenship as threats to their well-being.

A handbook for United Front cadres that fell into the hands of Canadian intelligence touted the fact that the number of politicians of Chinese descent elected in Toronto doubled between 2003 and 2006, urging officials to "work with" them. Some Canadian politicians, a current Ontario provincial politician for example, attended a Beijing-operated workshop for diaspora leaders in China, known for their close ties to Beijing. 

Conservative Member of Parliament Kenny Chin lost his seat in last year's election. He had championed a foreign agent registry bill while in Parliament believing it was a measure that led to a flood of disinformation and smears on Chinese-language social media, a cause of his seeing a diminished vote count. 

 

According to legal studies professor Dennis Molinaro, and informed by his CSIS past, the implementation of a foreign agent registry should be a minimum  protective step Canada should commit to, and that laws should reflect the need to permit CSIS to share findings, along with legislating as a crime Canadian citizens who work covertly in the interests of another nation.

 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reviews a Chinese honour guard at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, during a visit in 2016. Foreign influence in our democracy? Everything’s under control, he said this week. Photo by Mark Schiefelbein /AP

"It's very troubling that the prime minister has known about allegations about foreign interference in Canadian elections since last January and he hasn't taken any action."

"No foreign government should have any influence over our elections or our future. That should reside in the hands of Canadians."

"And so far, that has not been the case with the prime minister. He has failed to protect our democracy."

Leader, Conservative Party, Official Opposition, MP Pierre Poliviere