Justin Trudeau accuses China of planting spies in Canadian parliament

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Photo / AP

Justin Trudeau accused China of playing “aggressive games” with Canada’s democracy after reports that Beijing planted spies in MPs offices.

Intelligence sources warned that China had funded a “clandestine network” of election candidates in Canada’s 2019 election and agents to parliament to influence policy in China’s favour.

The allegations came just days after federal police also announced it was investigating a secret network of Chinese “overseas police stations” in Toronto, part of China’s efforts to secretly round up dissidents and criminals abroad.

“We have taken significant measures to strengthen the integrity of our elections processes and our systems, and we’ll continue to invest in the fight against election interference, against foreign interference of our democracy and institutions,” Trudeau said Monday.

“Unfortunately, we’re seeing countries, state actors from around the world, whether it’s China or others, are continuing to play aggressive games with our institutions, with our democracies,” he added.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said at a regular press briefing on Tuesday that Canada “needs to stop‌‌ making‌‌ remarks that undermine China-Canada relations”.

“China is not interested‌‌ in Canada’s internal affairs,” spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

“State-to-state relations need to be built on mutual respect and‌‌ mutual benefit, and China-Canada relations are no exception,” he added.

Beijing ‘directed funds to candidates’

Citing intelligence officials, local broadcaster Global News said Beijing had directed funds to candidates, targeting members from both Trudeau’s Liberal party and the opposition Conservative party.

Chinese agents have reportedly acted as campaign advisers to several candidates and attempted to “co-opt and corrupt” former Canadian officials in order to gain political influence in the capital.

In one case cited by Global News, funding of C$250,000 was directed through the office of an Ontario-based provincial lawmaker.

It is unclear if the efforts were successful. The operation was allegedly directed from China’s consulate in Toronto.

China ordered to close ‘police stations’

The bombshell report comes after last month Canadian authorities said they were investigating reports of “criminal activity” in relation to so-called “police stations” run remotely by China, the type of which have also been reported in several European countries.

EU states including the Netherlands and Ireland have already ordered China to close the stations, which have allegedly been used to pressure Beijing critics to return to China and face criminal charges.

At least 11 candidates were supported by China in the 2019 federal elections, officials reportedly told Trudeau.

In January, Canada’s intelligence chiefs presented Trudeau and some of his cabinet ministers with a series of briefings and memos outlining the alleged network, including other detailed examples of Beijing’s efforts to further subvert the country’s democratic process, Global News reported.

In addition to placing agents in MPs’ offices, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) reportedly found the efforts involved payments made from intermediaries affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The CSIS believes Beijing’s aim was to mount aggressive campaigns to punish Canadian politicians it views as threats to its interests.

The national spy agency can capture its findings through warrants that allow electronic interception of communications among Chinese consulate officials and Canadian politicians and staffers, according to Global News.

The outlet said sources had agreed to reveal details from the report to give the Canadian public a clearer understanding of the attacks on its democratic system. It said the sources were remaining anonymous “out of fear of retribution”.