The alarm on China’s interference is ringing louder
The evidence of China’s interference in Canada’s democracy was already alarming. Now, it’s doubly so, with fresh revelations that Beijing not only meddled with successive federal elections but also attempted to intimidate a sitting MP.
Mr. Chong was among a number of MPs who voted in favour of a February, 2021, Parliamentary motion that condemned China’s inhumane treatment of Muslim Uyghurs. He was singled out because he has family in Hong Kong. This is appalling. It’s a concrete and chilling example of China’s efforts to influence people in Canada, legislators included, through the use of intimidation.
Furthermore, Ottawa never expelled the diplomat involved in the plot. Just last month, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly told the House of Commons that the government would “very, very, very quickly” if there was evidence they were involved in interference. And yet, back in 2021, there was just such evidence and no one was sent anywhere at all.
The government’s inaction has no doubt reinforced a feeling among Chinese agents operating in Canada – and which was noted in the July, 2021, CSIS report – that they needn’t worry about repercussions. “Threat actors almost certainly perceive their activities in Canada to be low-risk and high reward,” the report said.
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