China interfered in Canada's last two elections - Reuters
China interfered in Canada's last two elections (photo: flickr.com/ciska_van_geer)
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has discovered that China's covert network interfered in the country's last two elections in 2019 and 2021, according to Reuters.
Under pressure from opposition lawmakers, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau previously established a commission to study foreign interference in elections, and the first results of the intelligence service's work have become known.
"We know that the PRC (Peoples' Republic of China) clandestinely and deceptively interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 elections," the statement said.
It is noted that in both cases, this activity was pragmatic and focused primarily on supporting those considered either pro-Chinese or neutral on issues of interest to the Chinese government.
"State actors are able to conduct foreign interference successfully in Canada because there are few legal or political consequences. FI is therefore low-risk and high-reward," the CSIS assessment said.
According to the official census of 2021, Canada is home to approximately 1.7 million people of Chinese descent, accounting for just under 5% of the total population.
Cases of espionage in favour of China
It was previously reported that Canada dismissed two scientists working in an infectious disease laboratory for transferring confidential information to China. The transferred data could pose a threat to the country's national security.
In addition, Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen recently stated that two sailors from the Navy were arrested in the US. According to him, as a result of the sailors' actions, secret military information ended up in the hands of the People's Republic of China.
Also, in December of last year, an Australian court found a resident of Melbourne, who had previously held senior positions in Chinese community associations, guilty of planning an act of foreign interference.
