According to a recent intelligence assessment, Chinese-language media in Canada that are pro-CCP (Chinese Communist Party) have played a crucial role in promoting pro-CCP rhetoric and facilitating internal censorship among overseas Chinese communities.
This heavily redacted report was released on September 24 by the Foreign Interference Commission in Canada, as a joint assessment conducted by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Privy Council Office on how the CCP influences Chinese-language media in Canada.
A report from July 2023 stated that “Canadian Chinese-language media are filled with pro-CCP narratives, and censorship (including self-censorship) is prevalent, with little presence of other media voices in mainstream Chinese-language media, or they are marginalized. This influence extends to traditional media such as newspapers as well as online platforms.”
The report noted that Beijing “considers control over overseas Chinese communities as an indispensable part of its domestic stability and legitimacy.” It added that Canada is home to over 1.7 million Chinese diaspora, making it a crucial target for the CCP. By influencing Chinese-language media, the CCP can shape public opinion within diaspora communities and make its “other activities, including transnational repression efforts and attempts to influence election outcomes,” possible.
During questioning on September 24, Canada’s Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault was asked about concerns raised in the report that the Beijing regime is seeking to “restrict opportunities for expressing different views, control narratives” by providing economic incentives and promoting self-censorship, in an effort to influence election results.
Perrault mentioned that the Foreign Interference provisions in the Canada Elections Act include exemptions for media content, but he agreed that activities involving economic incentives could raise concerns and potentially violate rules on foreign third-party donations.
The report highlighted risks associated with the widespread use of the social media platform WeChat in the Chinese community and pointed out that the platform’s design may “exacerbate” the spread of “false information and misinformation” that align with the interests of the CCP.
WeChat is developed by the Chinese company Tencent.
The document also referenced reports from public sources indicating that “a coordinated campaign of false information has taken place on WeChat, aimed at discouraging voters from supporting 2021 federal parliamentary candidates who hold anti-CCP views.” This may refer to the case of former Conservative Party MP Kenny Chiu. He reported being targeted by false rumor campaigns on WeChat, which falsely accused him.
Chiu stated that the smear campaign tried to discredit him by falsely claiming that his criticisms of Beijing’s human rights violations and his proposal for the Foreign Agents Registry Act were aimed at the Chinese community in Canada.
In the 2021 election, he lost representing the Richmond-Steveston district in British Columbia, with the Liberal candidate winning the seat.
A memo submitted to the Foreign Interference Investigation by the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections on September 17 indicated that the office examined this incident and determined not to launch a formal investigation due to lack of evidence. However, the memo pointed out that based on the information received during the review, there seemed to be “behavior attempting to influence the Chinese diaspora community in Canada.”