Canadian security officials expect Chinese government interference in Canada's election campaign.
Officials Say Beijing Interference ‘Highly Likely’ in Federal Election | Epoch Times | Noé Chartier:
March 26, 2025 - "Federal security officials say they expect Beijing will attempt to meddle in the ongoing electoral campaign. The chair of the elections security task force provided the body’s assessment on the different threats facing the election during a press conference in Ottawa on March 24. 'It is expected that the People’s Republic of China, or PRC, will likely continue to target Canadian democratic institutions and civil society to advance its strategic objectives,' said Vanessa Lloyd, who heads the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force.
"SITE is composed of representatives of four different departments and agencies with a security mandate. Lloyd’s permanent post is deputy director of operations, or second-in-command, with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). SITE also includes representatives of the RCMP, Global Affairs Canada, and the Communications Security Establishment.
"Chinese officials and their proxies are 'likely to conduct foreign interference activity using a complex array of both overt and covert mechanisms,' Lloyd added without elaborating.
"Some of these mechanisms have come to light in recent years through intelligence leaks in the media and via documents released through the Foreign Interference Commission presided by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue. They have involved mobilizing community groups to shun certain election candidates or implicating some candidates and staffers in interference networks. The PRC has been identified as the foremost foreign interference threat by the Hogue report released in January.... Lloyd added that China is highly likely to use social media to promote its narratives and 'specifically target Chinese ethnic, cultural, and religious communities in Canada using clandestine and deceptive means'....
"Global Affairs Canada’s Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), which monitors the digital information environment for foreign state-sponsored disinformation, said in February that it detected an information operation targeting then-leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland. The RRM said 'disparaging' news articles about Freeland, originating from an anonymous blog linked to the PRC, were being spread on the widely popular Chinese-language social platform WeChat. The RRM said the campaign was seen by approximately 2 million to 3 million WeChat users globally. WeChat was also used in the 2021 election to spread misinformation about the Conservative Party....
"Along with concerns around China, Lloyd said the Indian government has the 'intent and capability' to interfere in elections to 'assert its geopolitical influence.' Relations between Ottawa and New Delhi have remained strained since 2023 when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of being involved in the murder of a pro-Khalistan activist in British Columbia.... India has denied involvement and has accused Ottawa of making politically motivated allegations.
"Lloyd also said Russia could use online networks to interfere and added that Pakistan could also meddle to seek to counter India’s influence. Government intelligence summaries released to the Hogue Inquiry say that Pakistan has previously conducted foreign interference against Canada. Meanwhile, the summaries say authorities have not detected 'significant foreign interference' in past federal elections from Russia, although it possesses the capabilities."
Canada's spy agency claims China, India likely to interfere in next election | CNA | March 25, 2025:
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