Canada can’t be ‘naive’ to China’s transnational repression threat: report
Global News
The report's authors said transnational repression is 'a widespread phenomenon' and 'a threat that is increasing,' with several countries pursuing it at different degrees.
Researchers behind a new report on transnational repression are warning Canada must not be “naïve” as it seeks better relations with China, which remains a top perpetrator in intimidating and harassing dissidents abroad.
The report by the Montreal Institute for Global Security (MIGS) called transnational repression “one of the most serious yet least understood threats to security and democracy in Canada,” and said China remains a leader in such efforts.
It cited several examples, including so-called “police stations” and online influence campaigns targeting Chinese Canadian diaspora communities. Families still living in China have been threatened, the report adds, and women have been targeted with sexual AI deepfakes.
Speaking at a press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday to mark the release of the report, its authors said they recognize the importance of diversifying Canada’s economic relationships in response to U.S. tariffs, but that it shouldn’t come at the expense of security.
They acknowledged India, with which Ottawa is also seeking to repair trade and diplomatic ties, as another example.
“We must not put ourselves in agreements that could put our citizens in danger,” said Kyle Matthews, executive director of MIGS.
“We have to keep our eyes open, and we can’t close our eyes to the authoritarian threat that China represents, and still is. As many of the countries around the world that deal with transnational repression will tell you, China is one of the biggest players, if not the biggest player.”
The report comes a month after Prime Minister Mark Carney travelled to China and struck agreements on trade, business and travel that he said would forge a “recalibrated” relationship after years of diplomatic strain.
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