The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, says he is “tremendously” concerned about alleged Chinese police stations established in Montreal and Brossard.
“This is an issue that concerns us enormously and it underlines the extent to which the primary targets of foreign interference are precisely the communities of the diaspora, the communities of Chinese or Iranian origin who are here in Canada,” said he said Thursday in a press scrum upon his arrival at the meeting of the Council of Ministers.
Mr. Trudeau noted that his government has been aware for “many months” of the problem of Chinese police stations across the country.
“We are making sure that the RCMP is following up on this and that our intelligence systems take it seriously,” he added.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed the same morning that Quebec’s Integrated National Security Team had opened investigations into the centers in the province.
Intimidation of nationals
The RCMP indicated that Chinese Canadians were victims of possible activities of these centres. The police force has assured that it will not tolerate any form of intimidation, harassment or harmful targeting.
In an email, Sergeant Charles Poirier of the RCMP clarified that the police force was carrying out actions “aimed at detecting and disrupting these criminal activities supported by a foreign state and which may threaten the safety of people living in Canada”.
The RCMP says it takes “threats to the safety of people living in Canada very seriously” and said it is “aware that foreign states may seek to intimidate or harm communities or individuals in Canada.”
The RCMP has also invited anyone who feels they are the victim of bullying or harassment to report it to a dedicated telephone line: 514-939-8301.
The news, which was first relayed by The Journal of Montreal, means that Quebec would also be targeted by these alleged clandestine police stations. According to the Spanish organization Safeguard Defenders, three of these centers would be established in the greater Toronto area, we learned at the end of October. In all, there would be more than 50 such sites in the world.
The human rights group says the stations are being used to persuade people China claims are fugitives living overseas to return to China to face charges.
A few weeks after the initial revelations, Mr. Trudeau and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a tense exchange on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali. The Prime Minister’s Office had told reporters that Mr Trudeau had discussed concerns about Chinese “interference” in Canada.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then rebuffed Prime Minister Trudeau, but the Chinese Foreign Ministry then qualified, arguing that the president had not criticized anyone and that it was Canada who was being disrespectful and condescending.
Election interference
The leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, drew a link between these alleged police stations and electoral interference.
“It is a very, very serious phenomenon,” he said in the foyer of the House of Commons. Our fear is that this will play a role in the next election and in the context of a minority government. »
He then again called for a public and independent inquiry, as the Conservatives and the New Democrats are also crying out for. However, the Trudeau government is instead proposing to appoint a “special rapporteur” who will decide whether this is the right formula.
In the morning, the leader of the government in the Chamber, Mark Holland, affirmed that “absolutely” he discusses names with the opposition parties.
But Mr. Blanchet said he wants “first” that Mr. Trudeau “recognizes” that this is a public inquiry through the mandate of the rapporteur. As for a list of proposals, the Bloc leader said he had not heard of it. “If the Prime Minister wants to talk to me about a list of names […] he has my phone number,” he summed up.