Report Finds Pro-CCP Narratives Prevail in Chinese-Language Media in Canada

September 26, 2024 TruthUSA

Chinese-language media in Canada are playing a crucial role in promoting pro-Beijing narratives and facilitating censorship within the Chinese diaspora, as revealed in a recent intelligence assessment.

Published by the Foreign Interference Commission on Sept. 24, the redacted report offers a joint assessment by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Privy Council Office on the Chinese Communist Party’s influence over Chinese-language media in Canada.

The report from July 2023 states, “Communist Party of China (CPC)-friendly narratives saturate Chinese-language media in Canada. Censorship (including self-censorship) is widespread, with few alternative media voices prominently featured.” This influence spans traditional channels like newspapers and online platforms alike.

Beijing views control over overseas Chinese diaspora communities as crucial for its domestic stability and legitimacy. With Canada’s sizable Chinese diaspora of over 1.7 million, it becomes a key target for Beijing’s influence through Chinese-language media, shaping public opinion within the diaspora community and enabling various activities, such as transnational repression efforts and attempts to influence electoral outcomes.

At an inquiry on Sept. 24, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada Stéphane Perrault addressed concerns raised in the report about the Beijing regime’s narrative control by restricting dissenting voices through economic incentives and promoting self-censorship to influence electoral outcomes.

Perrault mentioned that while the Canada Elections Act’s foreign interference provisions make exceptions for media content, activities involving economic incentives could violate foreign third party contribution rules.

WeChat

The report underscores risks associated with the WeChat social media platform widely utilized within the Chinese community, noting its design can amplify the spread of disinformation and misinformation aligned with Beijing’s interests.

WeChat is developed by China-based Tencent.

Citing open-source reports, the document highlights “a coordinated disinformation campaign on WeChat aimed at dissuading voters from supporting parliamentary candidates with anti-China views in 2021.” This likely refers to the case of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu, who reported being targeted by a disinformation campaign on WeChat involving false allegations against him. Chiu stated that the campaign sought to tarnish his image falsely by claiming his criticism of Beijing’s human rights abuses and his bill to establish a foreign agent registry were targeting Chinese Canadians.

Chiu, who represented Richmond-Steveston in British Columbia, lost in the 2021 election, with the Liberal candidate securing the seat.

The Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections (OCCE) conducted a review of the incident but opted against initiating a formal investigation, citing insufficient evidence, according to its submitted memorandum to the foreign interference inquiry on Sept. 17. The memo indicated, however, that based on the information gathered during the review, it appeared that “attempts to influence the Chinese Canadian diaspora existed.”

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