Burton and Seaboyer: We need to stop China from buying influence in Canada. Here's how our laws need to change right now

Burton and Seaboyer: We need to stop China from buying influence in Canada. Here's how our laws need to change right now

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/justin-trudeau-isnt-meeting-chinas-threat-to-our-democracy-heres-one-thing-he-could-do/article_0b1a6710-e54c-11ee-8254-0f4ef6ff58cb.html

 

When Chinese investors acquire foreign companies, they're opening a door for spying. In every Canadian business bought by Chinese money, Beijing establishes a Chinese Communist Party committee — operating in Canada. With every acquisition, the reach of Chinese intelligence services expands. Those Chinese "police stations" operating in Canada were just the tip of the iceberg.

Beijing's intelligence services harvest the data of Canadians to feed AI-enabled apps that precisely guide barely detectable Chinese influence campaigns in Canada.

When Chinese investors acquire foreign companies, they're opening a door for spying. In every Canadian business bought by Chinese money, Beijing establishes a Chinese Communist Party committee — operating in Canada. With every acquisition, the reach of Chinese intelligence services expands. Those Chinese "police stations" operating in Canada were just the tip of the iceberg.

Beijing's intelligence services harvest the data of Canadians to feed AI-enabled apps that precisely guide barely detectable Chinese influence campaigns in Canada.

With complex technologies constantly evolving, one way of protecting Canadians from sophisticated foreign influence is to stop authoritarian undemocratic regimes from corporate acquisitions in Canada.

C-34, for instance, currently includes a classified (read: secret) review process that allows discretionary rulings by cabinet ministers. Regardless of which party is in government at any given time, this step is clearly vulnerable to foreign persuasion and interference. Canadians need open, transparent processes in determining which investments are accepted and which are denied or have strict conditions attached.

 With complex technologies constantly evolving, one way of protecting Canadians from sophisticated foreign influence is to stop authoritarian undemocratic regimes from corporate acquisitions in Canada.

C-34, for instance, currently includes a classified (read: secret) review process that allows discretionary rulings by cabinet ministers. Regardless of which party is in government at any given time, this step is clearly vulnerable to foreign persuasion and interference. Canadians need open, transparent processes in determining which investments are accepted and which are denied or have strict conditions attached.