Senior Diplomat Says Ottawa Clashes With Beijing Over Its Pursuit of Dissidents in Canada
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Canada’s number two diplomat says Ottawa is confronting Beijing over its policy clamping down on dissidents in foreign countries.
Testifying at a Feb. 3 House of Commons committee meeting reviewing foreign interference in the last election, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Morrison was asked to comment on the objectives pursued by the Chinese regime in Canada.
Security bodies and a public inquiry have identified China as the top perpetrator of foreign interference in Canada, and foreign meddling incidents linked to Beijing were flagged by the government during the 2025 federal election.
Morrison told the committee that China’s objective in meddling in Canada is to suppress five different groups or topics that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) calls the “five poisons.” Those include Taiwan independence, the Falun Gong meditation group, the ethno-religious Uyghur minority in Xinjiang Province, Tibetan independence, and the pro-democracy movement.
Morrison added that pursuing these objectives in Canada or elsewhere is foreign interference.
“I’ve told them repeatedly, personally, that we have a poison as well, and that is foreign interference that takes place on our territory,” Morrison said about his conversations with Chinese officials. “It’s our turf, we get to call the shots. So that’s what the clash is.”
The targeting of these groups by the CCP is to preserve itself and the territorial integrity of China, the deputy minister said, adding that it constitutes “overreach” when the regime seeks to suppress the “five poisons” abroad. “That’s where we clash: on what is foreign interference.”
The CCP’s preoccupations over Taiwan made headlines in Canada in January when two Liberal MPs on a visit to the island cut short their trip after being advised by Ottawa ahead of Prime Minister Mark Carney visiting China. MPs Helena Jaczek and Marie-France Lalonde said returning home early was important to “avoid confusion” on Canada’s foreign policy as Carney was departing for China.
New China Relations
Carney’s visit to China, the first by a prime minister since 2017, resulted in the signing of different agreements and Ottawa declaring a “new strategic partnership.” Carney also told Chinese Premier Li Qiang the progress made in the relationship “sets us up well for the new world order.”Testifying alongside Morrison was Nathalie Drouin, deputy clerk of the Privy Council and the prime minister’s national security and intelligence adviser. The two officials accompanied Carney in China.
Tory MP Grant Jackson asked the officials how to reconcile the stance that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) poses a significant threat to Canada while “we’re building the new world order with them.” Carney had identified China as the “biggest security threat” during the 2025 election campaign.
“What changes in terms of your actions with the PRC?” Jackson said.
Drouin answered by first referring to Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month. The prime minister used thinly veiled criticism to take aim at U.S. protectionism and foreign policy, while saying that Canada is responding to the challenge by, in part, deepening ties with China.
“The world is changing, and so we need to adjust to this new world,” Drouin said. She added that getting closer to China in some specific sectors does not mean that Canada is “abdicating” its responsibilities in matters of national security.
Last Election
Morrison and Drouin have worked closely on the China file and were part of the Critical Election Incident Public Protocol, a panel of five officials tasked to warn the public during an election campaign if an incident threatens the integrity of the election. The panel has issued no warning since its inception in 2019.They testified before the Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) on Feb. 3 in their capacity as members of the panel, which reviews key intelligence on election interference and makes consequential judgment calls.
Drouin told MPs there is always a “baseline” of foreign interference being detected by intelligence agencies, but no “spike” was seen during the elections.
“Canadians can and should have full confidence that their elections were secure and that their voices were heard,” she said.
Tory MP Michael Cooper raised concerns about this assessment given election security authorities had flagged different Beijing-linked attempts to influence the election.
“I think most Canadians would be absolutely shocked that this sort of thing would be happening in Canada. I mean, it’s just, it’s quite astounding,” Cooper said about what happened to Tay, asking the officials how they can still consider it a free and fair election.
Drouin said that election security officials were doing regular follow-ups with the Conservative Party and offered private security to Tay, a program available to all candidates facing threats.
Morrison told Cooper that he was not aware of any intelligence linking the Toronto Chinese consulate to the interference witnessed by Tay. On the issue of the transnational repression online operation targeting Tay, however, Morrison said his department undertook a démarche with the Chinese embassy in Ottawa—a formal diplomatic protest.
Cooper objected to Morrison’s answer.
“Forgive me for thinking that the involvement of accredited Beijing diplomats is being downplayed here today because the prime minister is making a new world order with the Beijing-based communist regime,” Cooper said.
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