Amid requests by opposition MPs for a foreign agent registry in the face of increased espionage and influence activities by Beijing, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Canada should be “thoughtful and inclusive” when it comes to creating such a registry.
“We need agencies to be inclusive, diverse, culturally sensitive,” Mendicino told the House of Commons Committee on the Canada–People’s Republic of China Relationship on Feb. 6.
Mendicino’s remarks come amid heightened attention to China’s espionage and influence activities after authorities shot down a high-altitude Chinese surveillance balloon flying over American and Canadian airspace on Feb. 4.
Mendicino was asked whether he is hesitant about creating a foreign influence registry when allied countries like the United States have long had such measures in place….