Canada has identified a misinformation campaign on the Chinese instant-messaging app WeChat, aimed at Conservative politician Michael Chong. The campaign involved sharing “misleading narratives” about Chong’s background, family heritage, and political views. Global Affairs Canada (GAC) believes it is “highly probable” that China was behind this campaign. China has denied the allegations.
This revelation comes amidst broader concerns about foreign interference in Canada’s elections. Canadian officials rarely disclose such information, making the GAC statement unusual. The department acknowledges the difficulty in definitively attributing the attacks to China due to the covert nature of social media networks in such campaigns.
GAC’s monitoring of social media and the internet ahead of a by-election led to the discovery of these attacks against Chong. The attacks, emanating from WeChat news accounts, exhibited signs of coordination and an abnormal volume. About one-third of the accounts amplifying the attacks were linked to Chinese state media or state-associated entities.
The Chinese embassy in Canada has dismissed the accusations as “purely groundless,” asserting that China does not interfere in Canada’s internal affairs. GAC plans to engage with China’s representatives in Canada regarding the issue, emphasizing Canada’s stance against any interference in its democracy or internal matters.
Chong, in response to the campaign, described it as an attempt by the Beijing government to interfere in Canada’s democracy. He reiterated his call for a public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference by China in Canada. The Canadian government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has faced pressure to initiate such an inquiry, although its implementation remains uncertain.
-BBC-
