Two Canadian-Based Media Outlets Identified by Canadian Intelligence Agency as Having Close Ties to the CCP
Identified in the foreign interference inquiry report, two Ontario-based Chinese media outlets had published information targeting former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu weeks before the 2021 federal election. The report revealed that both 105.9 Yes My Radio and CGCTV have “close links” to the Beijing regime, as per Canadian intelligence findings outlined in the interim report published on May 3.
The report criticized certain Chinese-language media outlets and social media posts for portraying Mr. Chiu’s proposed legislation for a foreign influence registry as “racist and anti-China.” Mr. Chiu’s bill, C-282, aimed at enhancing transparency regarding lobbying for foreign states without singling out any specific country. Mr. Chiu emphasized that the legislation aimed to protect the diaspora from hostile foreign forces. He lost his seat in the B.C. riding of Steveston–Richmond East in the 2021 election.
According to the interim report, Yes My Radio, a Chinese-language radio station in Markham, Ont., published an anonymous blog article on Sept. 6, 2021, urging readers to focus on Kenny Chiu’s ‘Foreign Interference Registry.’ Similarly, CGCTV, another Markham-based media outlet, shared a modified version of the blog post on Sept. 8, 2021, insinuating that Mr. Chiu’s stance against China was influenced by his Hong Kong background.
Disinformation Campaign
The report highlighted the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) efforts to shape global media narratives to promote its ideology and suppress dissent. The CCP uses state-owned media outlets and educational institutes like the Confucius Institute strategically to advance its narratives, as mentioned in a U.S. State Department report.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) also warned about CCP’s influence over social media platforms like WeChat, aiming to position itself as the voice of all Chinese people worldwide. Such observations were detailed in the CSIS “Country Summary” submitted to the Foreign Interference Commission.
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