Canada’s secret service has issued a warning that India and China will likely interfere in its general election, scheduled for April 28.The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) also said Russia and Pakistan could potentially engage in election-interference activities, per Reuters.
The intelligence report comes at a time when Canada’s bilateral relations with India and China are strained. Beijing and New Delhi have vehemently denied the allegations.
Read more: Carney calls April election in Canada, seeking mandate to face down TrumpInterference allegations and current threats Per CSIS, an official inquiry into Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections found evidence of foreign interference while noting that the overall outcome was not affected. The CSIS report also noted that Canada was slow to respond to these interference attempts.Vanessa Lloyd, Deputy Director of Operations, CSIS, said hostile foreign actors are increasingly using artificial intelligence to influence electoral processes.”The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is highly likely to use AI-enabled tools to attempt to interfere with Canada’s democratic process in this current election,” Lloyd told reporters at a press conference.Read more: Mark Carney sworn in as Canada’s PM, signals willingness to work with TrumpIndia’s alleged involvement in Canadian affairs Relations between India and Canada hit a new low last year after the North American country accused India of orchestrating an assassination attempt on a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil. In the diplomatic standoff that followed, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, including the head of mission, over allegations of their involvement in the plot.”We have also seen that the Government of India has the intent and capability to interfere in Canadian communities and democratic processes,” Lloyd stated.Read more: Canada immigration timelines: Check new processing times for citizenship, permanent residency and visaRising diplomatic tensions between Canada and China Tensions between Canada and China too escalated in recent months. Earlier this month, Beijing imposed tariffs on over $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products, retaliating against levies Canada previously imposed on Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminium products.Potential Russian and Pakistani threats While China and India were highlighted as the most likely actors to attempt election interference, CSIS warned that Russia and Pakistan could also be involved in such activities.”It is often very difficult to establish a direct link between foreign interference activities and election results… Nevertheless, threat activities can erode public trust in the integrity of Canada’s democratic processes and institutions,” Lloyd said.Read more: Canada’s inflation jumps to eight-month high as sales tax break endsCanada’s intelligence agency said it continues to monitor foreign interference threats with an emphasis on the importance of safeguarding democratic processes and public trust in the upcoming elections.(With agency inputs)
