RCMP Uses Communications Equipment From China-Linked Company

A Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) crest is seen on a member's uniform in a file photo. Shannon VanRaes/File Photo via Reuters

Canada’s federal police service, the RCMP, is using communications technology produced by a Canadian subsidiary of a Chinese multinational blacklisted in the U.S., contracts data from Public Services and Procurement Canada reveal.

This information was first reported by CBC News on Dec. 7 and verified by The Epoch Times.

In October 2021, a contract worth $549,637 was awarded to Sinclair Technologies of Aurora, Ontario, to provide the RCMP with radio frequency filters, on-site maintenance, and engineering support services.

The CBC says one of the purposes of the equipment is to protect RCMP communications from interception.

Sinclair was acquired by Norsat in 2011 for US$19.25 million, which in turn was acquired by Hytera Project in 2017 for US$67.2 million. Hytera Project is wholly owned by Chinese telecommunications giant Hytera Communications.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced in late November it was banning the importation or sale of equipment in the U.S. from Hytera and other Chinese companies such as Huawei, ZTE and Hikvision due to national security risks.

The U.S. Department of Justice had indicted Hytera in February over accusations it conspired to steal trade secrets from Motorola Solutions.

Sinclair general manager Wee Er told The Epoch Times the company is independent and registered in Canada.

“Our products are trusted by public safety agencies globally for over 70 years,” he said, while declining to further comment on the matter.

CBC was unable to find out from Sinclair if its products contain Chinese-made components or if Hytera would be able to access RCMP frequencies.

RCMP spokesperson Corporal Kim Chamberland told The Epoch Times the police force’s radio communications are protected with end-to-end encryption.

“Radio Frequency filtration equipment poses no security concerns nor does it allow access to radio communications,” said Chamberland.

The RCMP told the CBC the installation of the Sinclair systems has started in Ontario and Saskatchewan.

Quebec company Comprod was outbid for the RCMP contract and one of its cadre expressed frustration about the issue.

“How is it that a government agency just goes with the lowest bidder and will give contracts to companies like that when we’re talking about national security?” Comprod VP Jawad Abdulnour told the CBC.

The Epoch Times contacted Comprod but we didn’t hear back before publication time.

The CBC says it confirmed through several sources that Comprod was outbid by less than $60,000.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about the contract on Dec. 7 and he said his government will look into the matter.

“We will have some real questions for the independent public service that signed these contracts,” he said.

Other Contracts

Procurement data from the government indicates that Sinclair has had multiple contracts with the RCMP since before the company was acquired by Norsat and then Hytera.

The first was awarded in January 2009 for radio and television communications equipment at a value of $53,039. A second contract was awarded in June 2009 for antennas, waveguides, and hardware at a value of $122,535.

Other contracts have been awarded before Hytera acquired Norsat but were active thereafter,  such as a contract expiring December 2018 for antennas, waveguides, and hardware for a value of $1.5 million.

The Department of National Defence (DND) also had multiple contracts with Sinclair for similar technology dating back to 2009. DND’s latest contract with Sinclair was awarded in March 2013 and expired a year later.

Banning Huawei

The Liberal government has sought to address the security risk of allowing Chinese-made components in the country’s telecommunications system by announcing the ban of Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE last May.

The government took many years to come to this decision after allies had moved in that direction.

Canadian companies were told to remove existing Huawei or ZTE 5G equipment by June 2024 and 4G equipment by December 2027.

“There are many hostile actors who are ready to exploit vulnerabilities in our defences. We must redouble our efforts,” Public Safety Marco Mendicino said at the time of the announcement.

Federal government procurement has shown other examples of low concern for security pertaining to Chinese technology in recent years, having to backtrack after backlash.

In 2020, a $6.8 million contract was given to Chinese X-ray machine company Nuctech to outfit Canadian diplomatic missions abroad.

The company was awarded the contract despite knowledge of its links to the Chinese military and ruling Communist Party and a lower bid by a Canadian company. The deal was scrapped after it became public.

Other than Chinese equipment, the Liberal government is currently also being pressed on the issue of interference in the elections by the Chinese Communist Party (CPP) providing money to federal candidates, as well as the presence of Chinese police stations on Canadian soil.

Editor’s note: This article was updated with comments from the RCMP and Sinclair Technologies.