Canada says faces election interference threats from China and India

OTTAWA: Canada has warned that China and India are likely to attempt to interfere in its upcoming general election, while Russia and Pakistan also pose potential threats, according to the country’s intelligence agency.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) made its comments at a time when Ottawa’s relations with both India and China remain strained. Beijing and New Delhi have denied previous allegations of interference.

Canada was slow to respond to attempts by China and India to interfere in the 2019 and 2021 elections, but an official probe concluded in January that their meddling did not affect the outcomes.

Vanessa Lloyd, deputy director of operations at CSIS, told a press conference that hostile state actors were increasingly utilising artificial intelligence to meddle in elections.

“The PRC (People’s Republic of China) is highly likely to use AI-enabled tools to attempt to interfere with Canada’s democratic process in this current election,” she said.

Earlier this month, Beijing announced tariffs on more than $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products, retaliating against levies Ottawa imposed on Chinese electric vehicles, steel, and aluminium products last year.

Canada said last week that China had executed four Canadian citizens on drug smuggling charges, strongly condemning Beijing’s use of the death penalty.

Last year, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats – including the head of mission – over allegations they were involved in a plot against Sikh separatists on Canadian soil.

“We have also seen that the government of India has the intent and capability to interfere in Canadian communities and democratic processes,” said Lloyd.

The Chinese and Indian diplomatic missions in Ottawa were not immediately available for comment.

Russia and Pakistan could also conduct foreign interference activities against Canada, Lloyd added.

“It is often very difficult to establish a direct link between foreign interference activities and election results … Nevertheless, such threats can erode public trust in the integrity of Canada’s democratic processes and institutions,” she said.