Canada raised foreign interference concerns with China, says defence minister

SINGAPORE - Canada warned China against meddling in its elections during a rare meeting of the countries’ defence chiefs, its defence minister said on June 1.

“I raised the concern of foreign interference in all the manifestations that it might take, including interference in our institutions, including our elections, but also actions of collusion against the Chinese diaspora in Canada, our citizens,” Defence Minister Bill Blair told Reuters, referring to his conversation with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun.

Canada’s domestic spy agency said during an official probe into election meddling in April that

China had interfered in the last two elections

. Beijing has denied the allegations.

In 2023, Ottawa said a Conservative legislator with family in Hong Kong had been the target of an online disinformation operation. The government expelled a senior Chinese diplomat after an intelligence report accused him of trying to target the legislator.

Mr Blair said that during his meeting with Admiral Dong, held on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defence summit in Singapore, he also expressed concern

about Chinese military action around Taiwan

since the island's January presidential election.

The minister said Canada would increase its presence in Asia and was engaging with India to “address issues of disagreement”.

Diplomatic relations soured after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2023 said Canada was “actively pursuing credible allegations” that Indian agents were potentially linked to the June 2023 murder of Mr Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen.

Canada

charged three Indian nationals over the killing in May

.

“There can’t be any toleration for the territorial murder of Canadian citizens on Canadian soil,” Mr Blair said.

“But I think (the charge) has created the circumstances where we can begin to address issues of disagreement and some of the concerns that India has also expressed to us.” REUTERS