Does Canada have problems with China?

Canada and other Western nations have a long history of mistrust towards China: the confrontation between capitalist countries and Chinese communism has been going on for almost a century. Disagreements are quite expected and understandable, as these states are ideological opponents. Not long ago, Canada banned its officials from using TikTok, fearing surveillance by its developers. The authorities believed that the Chinese-owned app could be used for espionage, disinformation, and pro-Chinese propaganda.

To remind you, at the beginning of March, there were rumors in Canada about China's, Russia's, and Iran's attempts to influence the country's political life. The alleged attempts by the Communist Party of China to interfere in the federal elections of 2019 and 2021 were described in detail in a series of messages from the Globe and Mail newspaper and Global News television company, based on leaked data from Canadian intelligence. The Conservative and Democratic parties suspected that the Liberal victory was the result of attacks by Chinese hackers. Chinese authorities and diplomats have responded to the claims, calling them slander and an attempt to create a sensation. The state denied any involvement.

Trudeau instructed independent expert David Johnston to investigate the alleged Chinese cyber attacks aimed at influencing the elections. He is obliged to check the data on the theoretical intervention of China, report to the government, and also make a list of recommendations for strengthening the cybersecurity of important state processes.

This week, the leadership of the charitable foundation named after former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau resigned unexpectedly due to an investigation into a donation allegedly connected to Beijing. The charitable scholarship organization funds doctoral research and was founded over 20 years ago in memory of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, father of Justin Trudeau. The younger Trudeau, who became Prime Minister of Canada in 2015, has no affiliation with the organization. Additionally, a suspicious payment was made to the foundation in 2016, after his appointment.

In February, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported that two wealthy Chinese businessmen donated CAD 200 000 to the foundation. They have no direct ties to the Communist Party, but the origin of the donors raised the suspicion of journalists.

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