by Harvey Oberfeld

Keeping it Real…

February 6, 2023

The story getting most of the attention in Canada, as well as the United States over the past week, was that Chinese Spy Balloon, finally shot down Saturday on South Carolina’s Atlantic coast.

But in Canada, the bigger story should be the ongoing spying, interference and intimidation of Chinese-Canadians that the Chinese government has conducted here for years!

In November, Global News’ best national reporter, Sam Cooper, detailed how Canadian intelligence officials had warned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that China had funded ” a clandestine network of at least 11 federal candidates running in the 2019 election.”

Read Cooper’s full report here: https://globalnews.ca/news/9253386/canadian-intelligence-warned-pm-trudeau-that-china-covertly-funded-2019-election-candidates-sources/.

“Based on recent information from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), those efforts allegedly involve payments through intermediaries to candidates affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), placing agents into the offices of MPs in order to influence policy, seeking to co-opt and corrupt former Canadian officials to gain leverage in Ottawa, and mounting aggressive campaigns to punish Canadian politicians whom the People’s Republic of China (PRC) views as threats to its interests,” Cooper reported.

That is not only a violation of Canada’s sovereignty … it’s also illegal!

The Asian news publication The Diplomat has also reported extensively on how China has interfered in Canadian elections:

“In 2011, Bob Dechert, a Conservative member of parliament and a former parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs, was caught sending flirtatious texts to a Xinhua News reporter suspected of engaging in espionage. In 2019, pro-China groups were present in Toronto to prevent demonstrators from protesting against the controversial extradition bill in Hong Kong. Bloomberg News also reported that pro-China agents posed as residents in attempts to spark protests to stop the extraction of rare earth minerals in the United States and Canada,” news journal informed its readers.

Read more here: https://thediplomat.com/2022/11/chinas-interference-in-canadas-elections/.

” In addition to making illegal campaign contributions, China has used multiple tools to influence the Canadian public, ranging from broadcasting state-sponsored propaganda on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to exerting government control over China-based social media platforms such as WeChat and TikTok. The regime has also used traditional tactics, such as espionage and diplomatic coercion, as well as employing its United Front network in Canada, to advance its political agenda,” The Diplomat reported.

This is scary stuff!

And there’s more: China has its agents planted here in Canada … not just at its Embassy and Consulates across the country, but in our Canadian Chinese community itself … watching, influencing and no doubt intimidating people here to support China’s interests and agenda.

Global reporter Stewart Bell revealed just recently that a Chinese charity organization in BC is under “scrutiny” by the RCMP for its ties to Beijing.

“Representatives of the B.C. society have taken part in gatherings along with members of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office (OCAO), the website said,” Bell reported. “The Canadian government alleges the UFWD and OCAO are key parts of the Chinese Communist Party’s covert efforts to pressure and manipulate Chinese communities outside China.”

Read Bell’s full story here: https://globalnews.ca/news/9403212/wenzhou-friendship-charity-chinese-communist-party/.

No charges have been laid in that case as yet, but I have no doubt the Chinese government is indeed active inside our country, using influencers and even agents who exert pressures (and I wouldn’t surprised, even threats involving family “back home”) in attempts to soften or even silence criticism of the Chinese regime in Canada?

The Guardian newspaper revealed police were even investigating claims China has been operating secret police stations in Canada: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/27/canada-secret-chinese-police-stations-investigation.

China, under President Xi Jinping, is NOT a friend, NOR a partner.

It is a brutal, aggressive, human-rights-ignoring dictatorship that disrespects human rights, international law … and, as we now see clearly, other nations’ sovereignty.

Their violation of Canada’s air space to deliver their easily visible spy balloon to the US is nothing, compared to their covert, complex and subversive activities that are clearly aimed at interfering with our democracy.

The despicable treatment of the two Michaels … imprisoned in China without any legal justification for 1,020 days … showed the cruelty of the Xi regime.

China has disrespected, mistreated and tried to bully Canada, and apparently is also increasing its efforts to interfere and subvert our democracy.

The Canadian government MUST wake up!!! And MUST act to protect our country, our people from China’s illegal behaviours.

Not just “monitor” what is happening.

Harv Oberfeld

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