Tag: foreign influence

Tory Senator Introduces Motion to Establish Registry Countering Foreign Interference in Canada

A Conservative senator has introduced a motion to set up a registry for agents of foreign governments that he says is crucial for Canada’s national security. Introduced on Feb. 24, Sen. Leo Housakos said Bill S-237 is needed to combat the “growing threat” of foreign interference in the country. “It is critical that Canada takes…


China Election Interference Shows Canada’s Dire Need for Foreign Influence Registry

Commentary In April, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service published a report on the security threats facing Canada, concluding that “in 2020, CSIS observed espionage and foreign interference activity at levels not seen since the Cold War.” “China, Russia, and other foreign states continued to covertly gather political, economic, and military information in Canada through targeted threat…


GOP Senators Introduce Bill to Crack Down on ‘Foreign Influence Operations’ at US Colleges

Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) on Tuesday introduced legislation targeting gifts and donations to American colleges and universities that come from foreign adversaries like China, in a bid to blunt the impact of “foreign influence operations.” The bill, called the Greater Insight into Foreign Transactions (GIFTs) in Higher Education Act (pdf), seeks greater…


CCP Agents Had Access to Private Information of New Brunswick Students Through Confucius Institutes

Confucius Institutes operating in New Brunswick public schools had access to students’ private information and caused grave concerns among Chinese diaspora, the province’s education minister told a Commons Committee on June 21. “We had members of the Chinese Communist Party who were working for the Confucius Institutes who had access to the databases and student…


NB in Talks With Taiwan to Bring in Chinese-Language Program to Replace Confucius Institutes

New Brunswick is in talks with Taiwan to bring in a Mandarin-language program that will replace that of communist China’s Confucius Institute, the province’s education minister told a Commons committee on June 21. Some of the institutes have already been removed from N.B.’s school system, with the rest to be closed by 2022. “One of…


‘In Plain Sight’: New Report Details CCP’s Unrestricted Influence Operations in Canada

Beijing’s influence operations not only exert political influence during Canadian election campaigns, but also extends to “politicians, public servants, political actors, former parliamentarians, and diplomats,” according to a report (pdf) published in May. While influence operations orchestrated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) happen federally in Canada, the regime’s political influence strategy is more often aimed at…


MP Seeks to Establish Registry to Counter Foreign Interference in Canada

In an effort to counter foreign interference in Canada, legislation that would mandate people who act on behalf of foreign governments, political organizations, or corporations to register as foreign agents was introduced in the House of Commons on April 13. Bill C-282, an Act to Establish the Foreign Influence Registry, seeks to impose “an obligation…


Canada Targeted by Twitter Accounts Affiliated With Kremlin, Proxies

Twitter accounts with links to Russia’s government and its intelligence agencies have targeted Canada and its leaders in more than 300 tweets meant to “disrupt democratic processes, discredit elected officials, and polarize societies” on the social media platform, according to Twitter. Between 2009 and 2021, a total of 327 tweets targeting Canada and Canadian politicians…


China a Main Source of Fentanyl Fuelling Opioid Crisis Killing Canadians, Public Safety Minister Says

China is one of the main manufacturers of fentanyl and plays a key role in the current overdose crisis in Canada, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair told a parliamentary committee on Feb. 25. “It’s no secret that China is one of the main source countries of fentanyl, as well as the precursor chemicals used to…