REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BEIJING – Government China warned Canada to stop making statements likely to harm bilateral relations between the two countries. The warning came after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Beijing was playing an aggressive game that endangered Canadian democracy.
“Relations between countries can only be built on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. China-Canada relations are no exception. The Canadian side must stop making statements that could harm bilateral relations. “We are not interested in Canada's internal affairs,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a press briefing on Tuesday (11/8/2022), quoted from the official website of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Monday July 11, Justin Trudeau accused China of playing “aggressive games” with his country’s democracy and institutions. This was expressed after reports emerged of Beijing's interference in Canada's recent elections.
Trudeau said Canada has taken significant steps to strengthen the integrity of its electoral processes and systems. He also assured that his country would continue to invest in efforts to combat foreign interference in Canadian elections and institutions. “Unfortunately, we see countries, state actors around the world, whether it's China or others, continuing to play aggressive games with our institutions, with our democracy,” Trudeau told reporters .
Previously, Canadian media outlet Global News reported that China financed a “secret network” of candidates in the country's recent polls. Citing unnamed sources, Global News reported that intelligence officials told the Trudeau government that China was trying to influence or subvert its democratic process.
The Global News report accuses Beijing of directing the transfer of funds through Ontario lawmakers and others to at least 11 federal election candidates as well as Chinese agents working on their campaign staffs. Global News also said China had tried to place agents in the offices of Canadian lawmakers to influence policy.
Last month, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it was investigating allegations about an “illegal” Chinese government police station in the country. A study last September by the Madrid-based rights group Safeguard Defenders found that Chinese police had set up 54 police stations in 30 countries, including the United States, Britain, Brazil and Nigeria. According to Safeguard Defenders, these offices are used to defend political causes abroad.
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