Canada has been the target of covert efforts by China to influence its 2019 and 2021 federal elections, according to a top-secret report obtained by Global News. It reportedly said that Canada “must do more” to fight foreign interference.
The declassified Canadian Security Intelligence Service briefing was titled “Briefing to the Minister of Democratic Institutions on Foreign Interference,” and dated February 24, 2023. It identifies the People’s Republic of China as a major threat to Canada’s democracy, surpassing other nations in the scale and intensity of its foreign interference (FI) activities.
It underscores the complexity and breadth of China’s interference tactics, pointing out the deployment of a variety of tools within Canada, including the United Front Work Department and its diplomatic corps, alongside exploiting community groups and other non-government entities to further its agenda.
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Apart from China, the document also identified India as the only other country that engaged in FI activities. It only briefly mentions India’s involvement, although details regarding India were largely redacted.
This intelligence briefing has spurred the initiation of a commission of inquiry in Ottawa, tasked with investigating foreign interference in Canada’s recent elections. The move was prompted by investigative reporting by Global News and the Globe and Mail, which highlighted potential Chinese meddling in the electoral process.
Related: CSIS Report Now Claims Chinese Interference in Both Provincial And Federal Party Elections
The briefing also emphasized the need for a comprehensive strategy across all levels of government to “detect, disrupt, and publicize” attempts at foreign interference, and called for a “shift in the government’s perspective and a willingness to take decisive action and impose consequences on perpetrators.”
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