Canada says China and India may seek to meddle in election
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has raised concerns that China and India are likely to attempt interference in Canada’s upcoming general election on April 28. Additionally, Russia and Pakistan have the potential to engage in similar activities, the agency stated on Monday.
CSIS issued this warning amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between Canada and both China and India. Beijing and New Delhi have previously denied allegations of meddling in Canadian affairs.
An official investigation released in January concluded that Canada had been slow in addressing interference attempts by China and India in the 2019 and 2021 elections. However, the report found that these efforts did not impact the final election results.
Vanessa Lloyd, the deputy director of operations at CSIS, highlighted at a press conference that hostile foreign actors are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to manipulate electoral processes.
"The People's Republic of China (PRC) is highly likely to utilize AI-powered tools to interfere with Canada’s democratic proceedings in the current election cycle," Lloyd stated.
The warning comes shortly after China imposed tariffs on Canadian agricultural and food exports worth over $2.6 billion. This move was seen as retaliation for Canada’s levies on Chinese electric vehicles, steel, and aluminum products introduced last year.
Further straining relations, Canada recently condemned China for executing four of its citizens on drug-related charges, strongly opposing Beijing’s use of capital punishment.
Tensions with India have also escalated. Last year, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, including the head of mission, over allegations that they were involved in a plot against Sikh separatists residing in Canada.
"We have observed that the Indian government has both the intent and capability to influence Canadian communities and democratic institutions," Lloyd added.
Besides China and India, Lloyd also cautioned that Russia and Pakistan could potentially engage in foreign interference activities targeting Canada’s political landscape.
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