NDP MP Jenny Kwan appears as a witness at the Foreign Interference Commission in Ottawa, on Sept. 18.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
China and India are deeply engaged in attempting to influence diaspora communities and elect MPs sympathetic to their interests through illicit funding and disinformation campaigns, according to a CSIS report tabled at the public inquiry into foreign interference.
The inquiry has already heard testimony about the broad range of China’s foreign-influence activities, but the new Canadian Security Intelligence Service document details how heavily involved the government of India is in trying to meddle in Canadian domestic affairs and undermine support for the Khalistan movement that seeks an independent Sikh state in Punjab.
“The Gol [government of India] attempts to shape the final make up of Parliament through supporting individual pro-Gol candidates, including through interference in leadership and nomination contests,” said the document, titled Country Summaries.
The report summarizes intelligence held about a number of countries by security and intelligence agencies and federal departments. It was prepared by CSIS with input from the Communications Security Establishment, the Department of Global Affairs, the Privy Council Office, the RCMP and the Department of Public Safety.
Gathered intelligence, the report said, indicates “Gol proxy agents may have attempted to interfere in democratic processes, reportedly including through the clandestine provision of illicit financial support to various Canadian politicians as a means of attempting to secure the election of pro-Gol candidates or gaining influence over candidates who take office.”
In some instances, candidates may not even know their campaigns received illicit money, the report said. It noted that India, like China, also resorts to disinformation campaigns to “spread false narratives regarding certain elected officials.” No names of Canadian politicians were mentioned in the document.
The summary covers the period from 2018 to today. It makes no mention of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations that Indian agents killed pro-Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, 2023.
Foreign-interference inquiry resumes with focus on targeting of MPs, how system can be fixed
Three Indian nationals have been arrested and charged with Mr. Nijjar’s slaying that took place outside a temple in Surrey, B.C. Mr. Trudeau accused India from the floor of the House of Commons last September with orchestrating the brazen killing – allegations that set off angry back-and-forth denunciations between the two countries.
The CSIS report said Indian foreign-interference efforts also involve intimidation of lawful support of a separate Sikh state in Punjab, viewing anyone “engaged in Khalistani separatism as a seditious threat to India’s domestic stability.” CSIS said only a “relatively small number” of Canadian Sikhs promote violent extremism.
India engages in foreign-interference activities against Canadians who hold prominent positions, the report said: “These activities undertaken by GoI have included clandestine, deceptive and coercive activity to achieve the strategic objections of GoI.”
Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma said Canada still needs to provide evidence that India engages in the activities alleged, noting it did not do so when it accused his country of killing Mr. Nijjar.
“We had a similar unfortunate and politically motivated claim some one year ago and evidence is still awaited,” Mr. Verma told The Globe. “India being the world’s largest democracy does not engage in interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. On the other hand, we have witnessed Canadian Khalistani extremists, with some institutional support, interfering in India’s internal affairs, challenging its territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
The CSIS document also identifies China, Russia, Iran and Pakistan as countries that carry out foreign-interference activities in Canada.
The inquiry has heard testimony and received intelligence documents that indicate that China is the most serious foreign-interference threat, attempting to meddle in the 2019 and 2021 elections, intimidate and sway diaspora communities, shape Canadian opinion and influence Canadian politicians to support Beijing policies.
The CSIS report said China also uses incentives to target those with status or influence in Canada, such as invitations to important cultural events, paid trips to China, expedited visa access and political support, including funding. But Beijing also wields a stick to signal displeasure that includes denial of travel visas, harassment and intimidation, as well as economic coercion, such as withdrawal of tourist groups or pressuring advertisers to cancel ads with a particular media outlet.
The report said Russia is mostly involved in disinformation operations in Canada, while Iran seeks to silence Iranian-Canadians. Pakistan attempts to clandestinely support politicians who promote that country’s interest over India.
The document noted, without providing any further detail, that CSIS had to undertake “threat reduction” measures in order to reduce Pakistan’s “activities related to Canada’s democratic processes.”
On Wednesday, the inquiry heard from two MPs – Conservative Michael Chong and New Democrat Jenny Kwan – and former Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole, all of whom CSIS said had been targeted by China.
Mr. Chong was targeted after he pushed for a Canadian domestic ban on Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies and won approval for a Commons motion that declared China committed genocide against its Muslim Uyghur minority.
China imposed travel sanctions on him for his activities, but he did not know that Beijing had covertly gathered information on him and family members in Hong Kong in 2021.
Despite CSIS warning senior ministers and top government officials about these threats, Mr. Chong was unaware until The Globe and Mail reported on China’s actions against him in May, 2023, a report that led the government to expel a Chinese diplomat behind the covert campaign.
“I was disappointed that I had to read about it on the front page of The Globe and Mail,” Mr. Chong told the inquiry. Had he been told, “I would have been much more alert,” he said.
Mr. Chong criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his top national-security team of ministers and officials for failing to inform him for nearly two years. “I hope the commission gets to the bottom of this and holds people accountable for what I consider gross negligence, to protect our national security and make recommendations and other policy changes so as to ensure these things don’t happen again.”
Canada’s lack of action against authoritarian states has meant the country has become a “playground for foreign-interference activities,” Mr. Chong said.
“The government’s inability to protect our national security from foreign-intelligence threat activities has made us a soft target of these kinds of activities from authoritarian states. That is why hardening our institutions from these kinds of threats by conveying more information to MPs about the threats targeting them is so important.”
Ms. Kwan told the inquiry that Justice Marie-Josée Hogue must come up with a plan to disclose the names of parliamentarians who allegedly collaborated with foreign governments for their own benefit, with some of them “wittingly” helping China and India meddle in Canadian politics.
“If you were an unwitting participant and if you were not warned about it and you don’t know this is happening and no one has told you, then you will carry on business as usual,’” she said. “If you are, on the other hand, a willing participant in foreign-interference activities then there needs to be accountability. It can’t be that we just turn a blind eye.”
The House of Commons asked the inquiry to investigate a report by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians that found some federal politicians are collaborating with foreign governments to advance their own interests.
Justice Hogue told the inquiry Monday that she won’t be able to publicly name politicians suspected of wittingly or unwittingly participating in foreign-interference activities.
Ms. Kwan also told the inquiry it is urgent to take action against Chinese-owned social-media outlets such as WeChat and TikTok, which she said either censor or promote disinformation.
She later told reporters she’s proud for speaking out against China’s crushing of democracy in Hong Kong and jailing dissidents, even if that means pro-Beijing proxies work against her in the next election.
“What’s happening in Hong Kong right now literally breaks my heart. It makes me want to weep,” Ms. Kwan said.