Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, has charged China with attempting to sway the nation’s elections.
Beijing is allegedly targeting Canadian institutions and engaging in “aggressive games” with democracies, according to Mr. Trudeau.
In the wake of recent elections, Canadian intelligence reportedly discovered a “clandestine network” of candidates supported by Beijing, according to local media.
Officials reportedly informed Mr. Trudeau that at least 11 candidates in the 2019 federal elections were supported by China.
Local television Global News claimed that anonymous intelligence officials had said Beijing had given the candidates money and that Chinese operatives had advised many of the candidates’ campaigns.
In one instance, $250,000 (£160,000) in funding was sent through the office of a provincial MP with a seat in Ontario.
The operation, which was overseen by China’s consulate in Toronto, also allegedly aimed to embed agents into the offices of sitting MPs to sway policy.
To influence political circles, efforts were also undertaken to “coopt and corrupt” former Canadian officials.
Both of the major political parties—Mr. Trudeau’s Liberal Party and the opposition Conservative Party—are thought to have been the targets of the attempted involvement. It’s unclear, though, whether the procedure was effective.
Global News questioned Chinese representatives in Canada about the charges, but they did not answer.
The reports come after officials declared that they were looking into claims that China had established unauthorized “police” stations on Canadian land.
Several European nations have also reported reports of “criminal conduct regarding so-called “police” stations,” which the Royal Canadian Mounted Police claimed they were looking into last month.
Several EU nations, including Ireland and the Netherlands, have already demanded that China shut down the police stations since it is believed that they have been used to coerce opposition figures to return to China and face criminal proceedings.
The so-called overseas service stations, which claim to offer diplomatic services, have been implicated to stifle Chinese dissidents in Europe, according to Dutch media.
