Last Update: February 19, 2023, 10:19 IST
In this file photo taken on November 25, 2022, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testifies before the Public Order Emergency Commission Public Inquiry in Ottawa. (AFP)
Chinese tactics include undeclared cash donations, political campaigns, reimbursing donors who make legal donations to preferred candidates
Media reports have claimed that China may have allegedly tried to influence the outcome of the 2021 Canadian federal elections in favor of the ruling Liberal Party.
According to an investigative article published by Robert Fife and Steven Chase in the Globe and Mail, Chinese diplomats “through proxies” to disrupt Canadian democracy during the election campaign to secure a victory for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals. sophisticated tactics”.
It said China was determined to prevent a Conservative victory because they were seen as unfriendly to Beijing.
“China used a sophisticated strategy to disrupt Canadian democracy in the 2021 federal election campaign as Chinese diplomats and their representatives backed Justin Trudeau’s Liberal re-election – but only for another minority government – and worked to defeat Conservative politicians who were considered unfriendly to him. Beijing,” the report said.
Responding to the allegations, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said China has been attempting to interfere with the country’s democracy for years, but added that Canadians can have “absolute confidence” in the integrity of their election results. Is.
Trudeau said he has previously acknowledged that “China is trying to interfere in our democracy, in the processes of our country, even during our elections.”
According to Bloomberg, “This is not a new phenomenon, and it is something that countries around the world have been grappling with for a long time, and Canada is no exception.”
The report was based on documents from Canada’s spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
“Intelligence reports suggest Beijing was determined the Conservatives would not win. China employed disinformation campaigns and proxies involving Chinese-Canadian organizations in Vancouver and the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), which have large mainland Chinese immigrants. There are communities that oppose the Conservatives and Trudeau favors the Liberals.
It quoted an unnamed Chinese consulate official as saying that the Liberal Party was becoming the only party Beijing could support.
China has targeted several conservative politicians, including Kenny Chiu and Alice Wong in British Columbia and Bob Saroya in Ontario, who all lost in the 2021 federal elections.
The Chinese strategy includes undisclosed cash donations, political campaigns, reimbursement of donors who make legal donations to preferred candidates, the report said. However, it did not say whether this happened in the 2021 campaign.
Anti-conservatives have long alleged that China interfered in the 2021 election against some of their candidates by spreading misinformation through social media and other media outlets.
read all Breaking News Here