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

Canadian researchers call for a more coordinated response from G7 countries to combat ‘systemic’ Chinese foreign interferenceparticularly as technology and tactics evolve and Beijing’s agents become more embedded in society.

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

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

“As this is an opportunity for a reset of our Canada-China relationship, I hope that both ministers will take the opportunity to implement this reset so that this level of interference stops,” he said.

McKay also urged journalists to press Anand and Wang to honor any commitments the Chinese government may make to stop foreign interference in Canada.

When he last visited Canada at the end of May 2016, Wang went on a tirade against a Canadian reporter who asked about human rights in China at a joint press conference with then Foreign Minister Stephane Dion.

Global News asked Anand’s office and Global Affairs Canada whether foreign interference was discussed.

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 by Anand’s office last week.

Carney, who traveled to Beijing in January to bolster the new agreement, told reporters on Wednesday he looked forward to Wang’s visit and would meet him in person.

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

Kyle Matthews, executive director of the Montreal Institute for Global Affairs, said he and other experts support Canada pursuing 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, states that have stolen some of our most important intellectual property rights,” Matthews said.

“We do have economic interests that we want to expand, but we cannot be blind.”

Dan Stanton, a former Canadian Security Intelligence Service official and now director of the national security program at the University of Ottawa, said the federal government needs to be transparent with Canadians – particularly diaspora communities – and still be aware of the threat of foreign interference.

“Canadians need to understand that hopefully the government has not forgotten anything and that the government will continue to hold countries accountable for their actions,” he said.

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

Particular attention will be paid to China’s United Front Work Department, which coordinates a broad ecosystem of political, business, academic, media and civil society groups in democratic countries, according to the report.

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

“It’s a bit like the ancient Chinese game ‘Wei Chi,'” said Marie Lamensch, director of global affairs at the Montreal Institute for Global Security. “It takes up space over a long period of time, it is adaptable and the government is basically taking its time.”

The report included examples from European countries where politicians from the national to the local level were targeted with covert influence campaigns.

In a case study in Italy, the report describes the twin town agreement between the small Italian municipality of Asti and Nanyang, a Chinese city of over a million inhabitants, which came about after increased business and trade exchanges between officials and trips by the authorities from Asti to China.

The report describes the relationship as “surprising” given Asti’s economy based on wine and tourism, while Nanyang focuses on advanced industries such as artificial intelligence. According to the report, the agreement has now led to a leading Chinese surveillance company reviewing future projects in Asti.

Lamensch said G7 universities are also vulnerable to partnerships with Chinese academics and schools that, while legal and legitimate, are being pursued for ulterior motives. Great Britain is particularly at risk, she emphasized, as it has become more reliant on foreign students since Brexit.

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

The authors say information sharing, foreign influence registries and coordinated national strategies to manage foreign partnerships throughout society are needed to counter China’s influence activities.

Matthews said the report recognized that “it is a turbulent time for the G7” given the “rupture” brought about by the US under President Donald Trump, as well as the broader geopolitical climate.

But he added: “We must remain the course with some of our key economic and democratic allies to work to protect our democracies from foreign interference and influence from China.”

“It’s a big problem.”

– with files from the Canadian Press

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