Concerns Growing Over CCP Influence in Canada, Advocates Push for Foreign Agent Registry

People walk through Chinatown in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on April 15, 2023. COLE BURSTON / AFP

For decades, Canada has been one of the top three worldwide destinations for people emigrating from Hong Kong. It’s also a country that has been persistently infiltrated on all levels and from all sides by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Due to vested interests, Canada’s ruling party, the Liberal Party of Canada, has been slow to respond and has so far been unwilling to pass the Foreign Agents Registration Act. However, with all opposition parties determined to unite to support its passage, there’s an optimistic view about the legislation getting through Parliament in 2024.

In 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. Since then, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has governed China and has had sole control over the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

After more than 150 years of British rule, the People’s Republic of China and the United Kingdom signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration in 1984, setting up the conditions for the CCP to resume Hong Kong’s sovereignty in 1997. The CCP maintained that after 1997, Hong Kong could run its own affairs under “one country, two systems,” with the city’s freedoms preserved for at least 50 years and with progress promised towards fully democratic elections.

However, political uncertainties began emerging in the lead-up to the anticipated handover of Hong Kong. The doubts were exacerbated in 1989 by the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre in Beijing. The changing public sentiment prompted Hong Kong residents to emigrate during the 1980s and 1990s.

In 2019, the introduction of a bill by the Hong Kong government to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance about extradition drew the most extensive series of demonstrations in the history of Hong Kong. Tensions escalated again in 2020, when Beijing announced a national security bill for Hong Kong. The resulting political atmosphere and the crackdown on civil society sparked a mass exodus from the city.

The “Citizens of Our Time Learning Hub” (COOTL) was established to provide an alternative to Hong Kong’s education system by supplying elements that truthfully preserve Hong Kong’s history and community environment. By countering the enforced narrow viewpoints and clarifying the political propaganda, COOTL can provide a future for Hong Kong and Hongkongers.

To bring the power of dispersed Hongkongers together and then interact to evolve ideas into a ‘shared destiny,’ the Citizens of Our Time Hub (COOTL) held an online forum on Nov. 4, 2023, entitled “CCP’s Infiltration in Canada and implications for Hong Kong community.” It was hosted by social policy and public administration scholar, Mr. Chung Kim-wah.

Other participants included Ms. Gloria Fung, chairperson of Canada-Hong Kong Link and core promoter of the National Alliance for the Foreign Agents Registry, and Mabel Tung, chairperson of the Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement (VSSDM). Ms. Glacier C Kwong, an Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) member, facilitated the discussion.

Ms. Tung pointed out that CCP infiltration didn’t happen overnight. Even 34 years ago, when the VSSDM was established, the frustration from the CCP’s powerful influence in the community was being felt. A political strategy called the “United Front” had been established by the CCP and was being used to infiltrate beyond its immediate circles while downplaying any direct associations.

At that time, VSSDM had already reported various incidents to members of Parliament. One such occurrence involved a city councilor who was collaborating with the Chinese Benevolent Association (CBA) and other pro-Beijing groups to oppose the erection of a statue in Vancouver’s Chinatown district or any other city location.

The statue, entitled the Goddess of Democracy, had been proposed for erection to enable the commemoration of the pro-democracy students who were killed by the People’s Liberation Army in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989. However, all was not lost because, in 1990, the statue was eventually erected on campus at the University of British Columbia.

CCP’s ‘Heavy Investment’ with Ultimate Aim to Infiltrate the US

Ms. Fung then analyzed why Canada became one of the CCP’s targets for infiltration. Being the world’s tenth-largest economy in 2023, Canada is a highly developed nation. It has advanced technology, rare materials, and abundant resources. It is also one of the world’s largest trading nations, with a highly globalized economy.

Citing its proximity to the United States, Ms. Fung said that once in Canada, CCP operators can enter the United States and even obtain secrets from the “Five Eyes Alliance” and NATO. Due to Canada’s history of lenient immigration policies, additional labor forces have been enthusiastically introduced to supply all types of trades.

Ms. Fung pointed out that although Hong Kong immigrants used to make up much of the Chinese population in Canada, a decrease in their numbers after 1997 has resulted in a concentration of mainland Chinese immigrants settling in Vancouver and Richmond on the West Coast and Toronto on the East Coast. This has allowed the CCP to infiltrate the country more effectively.

Ms. Fung described the effort required by the CCP to infiltrate Canada as a “heavy investment.” Figures in May 2023 show that the CCP has 176 diplomats in Canada, 178 in the United States, and 64 in Australia. After referring to a former Canadian intelligence chief’s view, who said many were engaged in espionage, Ms. Fung concluded that the numbers were disproportionately high for Canada.

Mr. Chung said Canada’s population of 30 million and the U.S. population of 300 million proves that the CCP considers Canada strategically important.

Ms. Fung revealed that from 1989 to 2023, the number of local organizations associated with the CCP increased from less than 100 to more than 400. She believes that these networks of Chinese alliances, clan associations, professional groupings, and chambers of commerce accept funding from the CCP and act as CCP agents to seize control of the community discussions and resources.

CCP Implants’ Its Own People’ into All Levels of Government

Ms. Fung believes that the extensive infiltration by the CCP in Canada is due to the country’s lack of awareness. The CCP takes full advantage of Canada’s open democratic system to infiltrate politics, academia, and society. When Western countries sanctioned the CCP after the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989, it realized that it was more effective to use “hard power” infiltration rather than the lobbying technique.

To enable the implementation of pro-China policies, it engaged “its guys” as candidates in the elections and positioned them in Canada’s three levels of government (federal, provincial, and city councils),

Unlike in Europe, the United States, or Australia, Canada still lacks a “Foreign Agents Registration Act” or similar tool, Ms. Fung said. All legal proceedings can only be executed through criminal laws, which contain a high threshold. Over the past 20 years, local Hong Kong people and other ethnic organizations have continuously provided the Canadian government with information relating to instances of interference committed by the CCP. However, “not a single CCP member has been prosecuted or deported,” nor have the overseas CCP police stations in Canada been closed or had their staff deported, as has happened in the United States.

Ms. Fung believes that the government should prioritize the forthcoming implementation of the “Foreign Influence Transparency Registry” to acknowledge the appropriate law enforcement.

First VSSDM Chair Becomes ‘Chameleon’

Describing their effectiveness as “very clever,” Ms. Tung shared her insights into the use of personal surveillance by the CCP as a United Front strategy. She revealed that the first chairperson of VSSDM was once a “passionate fighter for the Chinese democratic movement.” But, after becoming a member of Parliament, his stance drastically changed. She pointed out the possibility of targeted efforts by pro-CCP groups to influence and alter his position.

After looking up relevant records, The Epoch Times found that Raymond Chan, the first chairperson of VSSDM, had been dubbed a “chameleon.” He was elected as a Member of Parliament in Canada in 1993. Online information indicates that in 2011, Mr. Chan and his wife visited the Inner Mongolia Normal University in China. There, Mr. Chan expressed the desire to jointly promote the development of higher education in Canada and China.

Canadians Disgusted by CCP’s ‘Hostage Diplomacy’

Initially, Ms. Tung pointed out that because the government did not address the issue of CCP infiltration until recent years, most local people were unaware of its presence. However, when the CCP detained two Canadian citizens, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, for more than 1,000 days, it heightened the concerns among Canadians about CCP activities. She attributed the awakening to intelligence personnel who had made a public release of the incident possible.

The CCP arrested the two Canadians in China shortly after Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer, was arrested at Vancouver International Airport in December 2018 by Canadian authorities at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). U.S. prosecutors charged Ms. Meng with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit wire transfer fraud, bank fraud, and wire transfer fraud. Subsequently, the Provincial Court of British Columbia in Canada initiated extradition proceedings against Ms. Meng.

Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor were charged with espionage and detained for 1,019 days. Only after Ms. Meng reached a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. DOJ and was allowed to leave Canada were Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor released and returned to Canada. The outcome was widely perceived as “hostage diplomacy” by the CCP.

Forming part of the tactics used to infiltrate Canadian society, Ms. Fung revealed that the CCP provides free trips to China for various selected Canadian individuals. The country’s intelligence agency also disclosed that 11 candidates in the federal election received cash bribes. Recent polls in Canada show that Canadians now have a more negative impression of the CCP. However, Ms. Fung believes that more attention needs to be directed towards closing the continuing “open door” situation. She said the first step must be to promote legislation establishing a “Foreign Agents Registration Act.”

At the end of December 2022, a report in Canada’s “The Globe and Mail” revealed from a national security briefing that the Chinese Consulate in Toronto had taken an interest in 9 Liberal Party candidates and 2 Conservative Party candidates during the 2019 federal elections. However, Director of Security Intelligence David Vigneault stated that their favored candidates failed to get elected despite the CCP’s efforts on social media, including the Chinese-language media.

The Foreign Influence Transparency Registry

Ms. Fung pointed out that the “Foreign Influence Transparency Registry” requires individuals or organizations working with foreign governments or forces to register the above relationships with the government within a specified time. Providing registration enhances the level of transparency in the process of deliberation and policy formulation. Even if the law allows relevant persons to continue lobbying after registration, she said the main intention was “to put their identities in the sun.” Those officials and parliamentarians who are contacted must know the lobbyist’s background, and any unregistered foreign agents will need to face criminal penalties.

Ms. Fung noted that the United States and Australia have passed similar legislation. Among others, the foreign forces in Canada from the CCP, Russia, Iran, and India are very active. A Nanos Research poll in 2022 found that 88 percent of Canadians support or somewhat support the establishment of a foreign influence registry, with only 7 percent of respondents opposed or somewhat opposed to the idea. As indicated in the poll, Ms. Fung believes solid public support for the legislation exists.

Optimistic That the Bill Will Pass in 2024 Despite Pro-CCP Forces Attempt to Block It

Ms. Fung revealed that a coalition has been formed, comprising more than 30 diverse groups and think tanks of different ethnicities to connect with the political parties and lobby parliament. They aim to have the legislation passed in 2024. Even though all opposition parties in Canada support the bill, she acknowledged that the ruling Liberal Party, due to vested interests, has been hesitant to pass the law. She said, “They are afraid of losing votes from the mainlanders,” but she believes it can be done with help from all the fully united opposition parties.

Ms. Tung expressed optimism about the bill’s passage, citing discussions in various parliamentary committees on the impact of foreign forces on Canada.

When asked if there were any hidden roadblocks in the bill’s passage, Ms. Fung pointed out that pro-CCP groups were eager to oppose it. Over the past six months, pro-CCP members in the Senate have joined forces with the pro-CCP groups to spread fake news, claiming that the bill targets China and that it’s a follow-up episode of “The Chinese Exclusion Act,” leading to another wave of discrimination against Chinese people. But Ms. Fung countered, saying the bill applies to all foreign countries. It can distinguish bona fide foreign agents from ordinary people and can protect all communities in Canada from long-term interference by foreign forces.

Canadian Senator and Hong Kong Monitor sponsor Leo Housakos proposed Bill S-237 in November 2021, which requires agents of foreign governments to submit declaration forms. False reporting could result in fines or imprisonment. Bill S-237 is currently undergoing its second reading in the Canadian Senate.