Canada’s domestic spy agency heard on Monday an official investigation concluded that China interfered in two recent elections, the most conclusive evidence yet of alleged Chinese meddling in Canadian politics.
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Canada’s domestic spy agency has concluded that China interfered in the last two elections in the most conclusive evidence yet of alleged Chinese meddling in Canadian politics.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party won two elections held in 2019 and 2021. Trudeau established a foreign interference committee under pressure from opposition lawmakers unhappy with media coverage of China’s possible role.
On Monday, the committee was shown a slide containing excerpts from a February 2023 briefing by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).
“We know that the Republic of China covertly and deceptively interfered in the 2019 and 2021 elections,” the statement read.
“In both cases, these foreign interference (FI) activities were pragmatic in nature and focused primarily on supporting those who were ‘pro-PRC’ or ‘neutral’ on issues of interest to the Chinese government.”
Global News previously reported the existence of the assessment. China denies interfering in Canadian politics.
Erin O’Toole, who leads the Conservatives during the 2021 campaign, estimated that Chinese interference cost his party up to nine seats, but added that it did not change the course of the election .
“State actors are able to successfully engage in foreign intervention in Canada because there are few legal or political consequences. Therefore, foreign intervention is low risk and high reward,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies assessment said.
Intelligence analysts and Conservatives say the Trudeau government is not doing enough to combat Chinese interference. Trudeau will testify before the committee on Wednesday.
The Conservatives have generally taken a tougher stance on China than the Liberals, with their 2021 election platform denouncing Beijing’s treatment of the Uyghur minority and vowing to ban Chinese mobile giant Huawei from 5G networks.
The lawmaker from the left-wing minority New Democratic Party told the inquiry that once she began criticizing Beijing’s Hong Kong policies, invitations to events hosted by the politically influential Chinese community began to dry up.
According to the 2021 official census, there are approximately 1.7 million Chinese people in Canada, accounting for less than 5% of the total population.
The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Center for Strategic and International Studies statement.
Last year, Canada said a Conservative lawmaker with family in Hong Kong had been detained targeted and expelled a senior Chinese diplomat in an online disinformation campaign.
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