Conservatives call for ‘robust plan’ on alleged Chinese interference in Canada

'The Chinese Communist Party … is using all elements of state power to carry out activities that are a direct threat to our national security and sovereignty,' CSIS stated.

The Conservatives are calling on the government to come up with a “robust plan” to counter China’s alleged foreign interference in Canada, following a Global News report that Canadian intelligence officials have warned of covert activity by Beijing during the 2019 election campaign.

Global News reported on Monday that Canadian intelligence officials have warned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that China has allegedly been targeting Canada with a vast campaign of foreign interference, which includes funding a clandestine network of at least 11 federal candidates running in the 2019 election.

“Conservatives are extremely troubled by a recent media report that Canada has been a target of extensive foreign interference by Beijing in the 2019 election,” Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong wrote in a statement on Tuesday.

“It’s long past time for the Trudeau government to come forward with a robust plan to counter Beijing’s foreign interference operations here on Canadian soil.”

Delivered to the prime minister and several cabinet members in a series of briefings and memos first presented in January, the allegations reported on by Global News included other detailed examples of Beijing’s efforts to further its influence and, in turn, subvert Canada’s democratic process, sources said.

Based on recent information from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), those efforts allegedly involve payments through intermediaries to candidates affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), placing agents in the offices of MPs in order to influence policy, seeking to co-opt and corrupt former Canadian officials to gain leverage in Ottawa, and mounting aggressive campaigns to punish Canadian politicians whom the People’s Republic of China (PRC) views as threats to its interests.

CSIS told Global News it could not answer some questions for this story. But the service confirmed it has identified the PRC’s foreign interference in Canada, which can include covert funding to influence election outcomes.

“The Chinese Communist Party … is using all elements of state power to carry out activities that are a direct threat to our national security and sovereignty,” CSIS stated.