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.

Last week, the foundation returned the donation to the senders, but Canadian society, stirred up by what happened, demanded action. As a result, the leaders of the foundation resigned.

The latest news related to China is the departure from the Liberal Party of Han Dong, a Canadian deputy of Chinese origin. Critics claim that he suggested to the Chinese consul general in Toronto, Han Tao, to postpone the release of Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. They were imprisoned in China for over 1000 days on charges of espionage. The pair became known worldwide as the "Two Michaels."

Their detention was seen as retaliation for the 2018 arrest of Huawei's senior executive director Meng Wanzhou in Canada at the request of the US, which sought her extradition on charges of fraud.

According to Global News, Dong allegedly hinted to the diplomat in February 2021 that the release of the two Canadians would benefit Canada's Conservative Party, which is considered unfriendly to Beijing.

"Media reports citing unverified and anonymous sources have damaged my reputation and cast doubt on my loyalty to Canada," Dong pleaded to the Canadian minister. "Allow me to clarify that this is slander. I will defend myself against these completely false allegations," he said.

Stay tuned to our news to learn more about Canadian politics.