China-linked info ops target PM Mark Carney ahead of Canada’s federal polls

Toronto: While monitoring the digital information ecosystem ahead of Canada’s Federal election, a task force has observed an “information operation” linked to Chinese intelligence focused on Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Canadian media and analysts described the posts on the Chinese social media platform WeChat as largely favourable towards the PM.

The posts originated from Youli-Youmian, WeChat’s most popular news account. “Intelligence reporting links the Youli-Youmian account to the PRC Chinese Communist Party’s Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission,” according to a statement from the Privy Council Office, akin to India’s Cabinet Secretariat.

This “inauthentic behaviour” was observed by the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections or SITE Task Force.

SITE will raise its concerns with the Chinese company Tencent, the developer of WeChat.

“The content of this information operation contains stories about the Prime Minister, Liberal Party of Canada leader, and candidate in Nepean, Mark Carney,” the release noted.

They dated for March 10, a day after Carney was selected as the new leader of the Liberal Party and March 25.

During a SITE briefing in Ottawa on Monday, Laurie-Anne Kempton, Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, said, “The People’s Republic of China should not be trying to shape the opinions of Canadians, especially during an election period.”

“This information operation had contrasting positive and negative narratives, first amplifying Mr Carney’s stance with the United States and then targeting his experience and credentials,” she added.

However, former Canadian diplomat in China Carles Burton posted on X, “I read the WeChat document in question. It is not ‘targeting’ Mr Carney. It is strongly supporting him ‘The only adult in the room’ Rock star economist’.”

“Some of the messaging it found was fairly laudatory toward Mr. Carney, with one headline saying ‘the United States is facing a tough Prime Minister from Canada’,” the outlet Globe and Mail reported.

The National Post reported, “On March 10 and March 25, Youli-Youmian, the most popular news account on the Chinese social media platform WeChat, shared posts about Carney that cast him in a generally positive light.”

However, the posts also mentioned attacks by the opposition Conservative Party on Carney related to the PM not releasing details of his foreign assets.

The opposition seized upon the details on Monday, as Conservative MP Michael Chong, who was targeted by China in the past, said, in a statement, “Make no mistake, the Communist Party in Beijing is engaging in a sophisticated campaign to interfere in Canada’s election with the aim of re-electing Mark Carney and the Liberals for a fourth term.”