Canada’s Silent Compromise: How Fear of Election Repercussions Protects Chinese Interference

The Chinese embassy in Ottawa in a file photo. The Epoch Times

Commentary

As Canadians prepare to cast their votes in upcoming elections, there remains a conspicuous silence echoing through the chambers of power and on campaign trails alike: the problem of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence in Canada. It is not a question of whether this influence exists, but rather how deeply it has embedded itself—and why few seem willing to speak about it.

Having spent decades in intelligence and security, and through the research presented in “The Mosaic Effect,” the book I co-authored, I’ve seen firsthand how Beijing uses sophisticated non-military tools—what we now define as hybrid warfare—to infiltrate and influence democratic institutions. At the core of this strategy is the United Front Work Department, an agency of the CCP that specializes in co-opting elites, manipulating diaspora communities, and shaping foreign policy in target nations.

In Canada, the United Front’s fingerprints are everywhere—from shadowy political donations to proxy voices in local community organizations, and even in candidate selection processes across municipal, provincial, and federal levels. Yet, political leaders and parties routinely sidestep the China issue, especially during election seasons. Why?

The answer is both troubling and telling.

Parties know that acknowledging the China threat—especially naming the United Front or calling out People’s Republic of China-aligned actors—risks alienating voting blocs within diaspora communities, many of whom are victims themselves of CCP coercion. They also fear accusations of racism or xenophobia, labels Beijing has weaponized through its diplomatic and online proxies to silence legitimate criticism.

Furthermore, there’s a deeper concern: what if some elements within our political institutions are already compromised? Whether through foreign-linked political financing, influence over nomination races, or the strategic grooming of “friendly” candidates, Beijing has the means to shape the very makeup of Canada’s political class.

Drawing attention away from CCP interference also helps parties avoid inconvenient conversations about foreign policy—like why they won’t support more aggressive tariffs on China or address supply chain dependence. To speak plainly about these issues risks not just losing votes, but triggering economic reprisals or disinformation campaigns that could derail entire campaigns.

This kind of self-censorship, whether conscious or not, is precisely what the CCP hopes to achieve. It is influence without the cost or visibility of direct confrontation. It’s subversion without setting foot on a battlefield.

Canada is not alone in this, but we are uniquely vulnerable. Our decentralized political system, multicultural ethos, and open economy make us a prime target. If political leaders remain unwilling to confront this challenge, they risk becoming unwitting facilitators of foreign interference—and Canada’s democracy will continue to erode from within.

It’s time for leaders of all stripes to show political courage. That means naming the threat, exposing United Front operations, and protecting Canada’s sovereignty—no matter the electoral cost.

Because silence is not neutral. In the face of foreign subversion, silence is surrender.

Scott McGregor is a former Canadian Armed Forces intelligence operator and intelligence adviser to the RCMP. He is the co-author of “The Mosaic Effect: How the Chinese Communist Party Started a Hybrid War in America’s Backyard.”

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.