China Interference: Latest News

Former Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole says the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) found an “active campaign of voter suppression” by China against him and his party in the 2021 election.

Canada is expelling the Chinese diplomat who allegedly worked with Beijing to target Conservative MP Michael Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong.

RCMP says he would support additional laws that allow police to further crack down on foreign interference in Canada, as well as ways to further collaborate with intelligence officials on the issue.But Mike Duheme adds multiple investigations remain underway that he’s confident will lead to criminal charges, though he did not give specifics.“When you ask any police officers if we can have more laws — if we can have additional legislation that would ensure that it would assist us as we move forward, but also ensure the safety of the public and of Canadians — I’d say yes, I’m favorable for that and very supportive,” Duheme told Mercedes Stephenson in an interview that aired Sunday on The West Block. Read more: On foreign interference, Canada playing ‘whack-a-mole’ to China’s chess: expert He pointed to the case in November where a Hydro-Quebec employee was charged with alleged espionage on behalf of China as an example of a successful RCMP investigation into foreign interference.“We were successful in laying charges against this individual, and we have other files that are moving forward that we will be successful in laying charges,” said Duheme, who was previously deputy commissioner of federal policing and oversaw foreign interference investigations as part of his mandate.Duheme would not say if those charges were related to the alleged Chinese-operated “police stations” the RCMP says it is investigating in the Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal areas.He said those investigations are ongoing and urged anyone with information to reach out to investigators.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday committed to new steps his government will take to combat foreign interference, including additional independent investigations and further steps toward establishing a foreign agents registry.

foreign interference efforts, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.Trudeau made the comments to reporters in Winnipeg on Friday as pressure grows on the federal government to call a public inquiry over reports of attempted Chinese interference in Canadian elections and society.“We know that Chinese Canadian parliamentarians, and Chinese Canadians in general, are greater targets for interference by China than others,” he said.“We know the same goes for Iranian Canadians, who are more subject to interference from the Iranian government. Russian speakers in Canada are more vulnerable to Russian misinformation and disinformation, and we get updated regularly on how we can make sure that our integrity and that the work that Canadians do to serve in politics is done with full protections.” Read more: Most Canadians believe China did try to interfere in elections - poll Trudeau had been asked a question regarding a Global News investigative report that cited information from intelligence officials who allegedly provided Trudeau’s party with an urgent, classified briefing in late September 2019 regarding Toronto-area Liberal candidate Han Dong.The sources said that over the summer, CSIS had been tracking Dong — a former Ontario Liberal MPP — because they were concerned he had replaced Don Valley North Liberal incumbent Geng Tan under what they thought were suspicious circumstances.They were concerned that Dong was believed to be the favoured candidate of officials in the Toronto Chinese consulate, according to an official with direct awareness of the alleged threat brief about Dong.Responding to questions from Global News for the story, Dong has denied the allegations and on Monday stated he would defend himself.