OTTAWA, Canada — A sensitive analysis from a key arm of the People’s Republic of China’s overseas influence operations, published just weeks after Canada’s 2021 federal election, reveals Beijing’s strategic interest in the comparative success of Chinese and Indian immigrant communities in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 votes, particularly the extraordinary influence wielded by Sikh leaders, who reportedly pressured Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to amend an extremist threat report linked to the 1985 Air India bombing by warning that failure to comply would cost the Liberal Party financial backing and access to Sikh voters.
It will be a monumental challenge for future Canadian leaders to craft a compelling, unifying vision for our country given the starkly shifting demographic composition we, for better or worse, are faced with, along with the heightened influence capacity of foreign governments in the technologically interconnected age we find ourselves in blended with myriad historical and present-day goals, sentiments and grievances attached to the various communities at home in the country. Given this, in the absence of a broadly accepted defining narrative we will continue to face disparate competing visions which will lay the future groundwork for all manner of conflicts in society which will be opportunistically exploited even further beyond what we've already had a taste of. Here's to hoping we can produce a figure who will be capable of effectively disseminating such a narrative, if he or she doesn't already exist within the political theatre.
One solution would be for both parties to require each candidate to reveal where their support comes from. And, to swear a vow to the party that they are not consciously or willingly welcoming or participating in what might be called "foreign influence." What would be the fear of not doing this?
I am not convinced that second and third generation Chinese Canadians are that susceptible to being influenced by anything like the United Front. They are integrated into Canadian society as professionals, academics, and business people. They are also very well informed, and intelligent. The new immigrants with family ties in China are a different story. Think Richmond, for one. We Chat dominated. In Markham, Ontario there are many excellent Sichuan and Cantonese restaurants, by the way!
It will be a monumental challenge for future Canadian leaders to craft a compelling, unifying vision for our country given the starkly shifting demographic composition we, for better or worse, are faced with, along with the heightened influence capacity of foreign governments in the technologically interconnected age we find ourselves in blended with myriad historical and present-day goals, sentiments and grievances attached to the various communities at home in the country. Given this, in the absence of a broadly accepted defining narrative we will continue to face disparate competing visions which will lay the future groundwork for all manner of conflicts in society which will be opportunistically exploited even further beyond what we've already had a taste of. Here's to hoping we can produce a figure who will be capable of effectively disseminating such a narrative, if he or she doesn't already exist within the political theatre.
Another compelling read. Thanks for that. For stories that frequently make me disappointed and sad I consider you a must read. Funny that.
One solution would be for both parties to require each candidate to reveal where their support comes from. And, to swear a vow to the party that they are not consciously or willingly welcoming or participating in what might be called "foreign influence." What would be the fear of not doing this?
I am not convinced that second and third generation Chinese Canadians are that susceptible to being influenced by anything like the United Front. They are integrated into Canadian society as professionals, academics, and business people. They are also very well informed, and intelligent. The new immigrants with family ties in China are a different story. Think Richmond, for one. We Chat dominated. In Markham, Ontario there are many excellent Sichuan and Cantonese restaurants, by the way!
One sick culture informing another very sick one, in order to further parasitize the host.