Chinese interference ‘systemic,’ says report as minister returns to Canada – National

Canadian researchers are calling for a more coordinated response from G7 countries to counter “systemic” Chinese foreign interference, particularly as technology and tactics evolve and Beijing’s agents become more integrated into societies.

Wednesday’s report from the Montreal Institute for Global Security comes a day before Canada welcomes China’s foreign minister to Ottawa for the first time in a decade.

Speaking alongside the report’s authors on Parliament Hill, former MP John McKay urged Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand to raise the issue of foreign interference with her counterpart Wang Yi during her visit.

“As this is an opportunity to reset our relationship between Canada and China, I hope that both ministers will take the opportunity to operationalize this reset so that this level of interference ceases,” he said.

McKay also called on journalists to press Anand and Wang on any commitments from the Chinese government to end foreign interference in Canada.

During his last visit to Canada in late May 2016, Wang launched a tirade against a Canadian journalist who asked him about human rights in China during a joint press conference with then-Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion.

Global News asked Anand’s office and Global Affairs Canada if foreign interference would be discussed.

The ministers are expected to discuss the recently updated Canada-China strategic partnership, as well as trade, investment and global security, according to a statement released last week by Anand’s office.

6:15 a.m.
Carney says China doesn’t share concerns about ‘foreign interference’ but relations are at ‘turning point’

Carney, who visited Beijing in January to cement the new deal, told reporters on Wednesday that he was looking forward to Wang’s visit and would meet with him personally.

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He said the visit would provide a “valuable exchange of views”.

Kyle Matthews, executive director of the Montreal Institute of Global Affairs, said he and other experts support Canada in continuing trade with China and other countries like India that have been accused of foreign interference, but “we can’t be naive.”

“We are dealing with states that have murdered Canadian citizens, that have harassed Canadian citizens, and that have stolen some of our most important intellectual property,” Matthews said.

“We have economic interests to develop. However, we cannot be blind.”

Dan Stanton, former head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and now director of the national security program at the University of Ottawa, said the federal government must be transparent with Canadians – particularly diaspora communities – and always recognizes the risk of foreign interference.

“Canadians need to understand that the government has not forgotten, we hope, and that it will continue to hold countries accountable for what they do,” he said.

The report draws on open source research and interviews to present case studies of Chinese interference in each G7 country: Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France and Japan.

Special attention is paid to the Chinese United Front Work Department, which, according to the report, coordinates a broad ecosystem of political, economic, academic, media and civil society groups in democratic countries.

Although these groups operate legally and often maintain legitimate relationships, the report’s authors say they seek long-term narrative influence that furthers China’s interests abroad.

“It’s a bit like the ancient Chinese game ‘wei chi,'” said Marie Lamensch, director of global affairs at the Institute for Global Security in Montreal. “It takes up space, it’s adaptive and the government is taking its time.”

0:57
Carney says ‘serious problems’ remain over China’s treatment of Uyghurs

The report included examples in European countries of politicians being targeted by covert influence campaigns from the national to the local level.

In a case study in Italy, the report describes the twinning agreement between the small Italian municipality of Asti and Nanyang, a Chinese city of more than a million inhabitants, concluded after an increase in trade between officials and trips to China by Asti authorities.

The report calls this relationship “surprising” given Asti’s economy based on wine and tourism, while Nanyang focuses on advanced industries like artificial intelligence. The deal has since led to plans for a leading Chinese surveillance company to explore future projects in Asti, according to the report.

Lamensch said G7 universities are also likely to form partnerships with Chinese academics and schools that, while legal and legitimate, are sought after for ulterior motives. Britain is particularly vulnerable, she noted, as it has become more reliant on foreign students since Brexit.

The report also covers cases of transnational repression, including the intimidation of Chinese diasporas through so-called “police stations” set up in Canadian cities and other methods.

The authors argue that intelligence sharing, registers of foreign influence, and coordinated national strategies for managing foreign partnerships within society are necessary to counter China’s influence activities.

Matthews said the report recognizes that “this is a tumultuous time for the G7” given the “rift” created by the United States under President Donald Trump, as well as the broader geopolitical climate.

However, he added: “We must still stay the course with some of our key economic and democratic allies to work to protect our democracies from Chinese foreign interference and influence.

“This is a major problem.”

—with files from the Canadian Press

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