China Canada Photo: VCG

From any perspective, the hype by some Canadian politicians and media over the so-called Chinese interference in Canada's internal affairs has been a failure. The Canadian intelligence agency has been fabricating reports to feed these accusations, and the country's politicians and media have been working very hard to spread them. The hype on this topic has lasted several months, but still failed to create the storm they expected in Canada. The key reason for this is that they cannot provide convincing evidence, and the majority of the Canadian public is not as easily fooled as they think.

However, amid this continuing manipulation of public opinion, Canadian diplomacy overreacted in a way it should not have, revealing once again its immaturity, lack of independence, and instability. It started with a 2021 report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), recently revealed by some Canadian media. The report claimed falsely that a Chinese consular officer "coerced" a Canadian legislator and his family, in addition to the usual rhetoric about "China's interference in Canada's internal affairs." This made a few vociferous Canadian politicians and media finally see a glimmer of hope of making a greater deal out of it after several months of "persistence."

CSIS has repeatedly made groundless accusations on China-related issues and made a fool of itself in the process, undermining its integrity as a result. Moreover, it is evident to all that those who hype "Chinese interference" barely conceal their political intentions. Given all these factors, the Canadian government should be quite clear about what this report is all about, and it is unlikely that anyone with some sense of judgment will believe it.

Despite all this, the Canadian foreign ministry summoned the Chinese ambassador based on false allegations and made a fuss about it, and even said that it was considering expelling the Chinese diplomats concerned. This move was widely reported by Western media. In fact, it was done with anti-Chinese politicians and Washington to complete a smear attack on China, artificially creating a diplomatic spat that should not have occurred and having a negative impact.

Deliberately demonstrating assertiveness to China in various ways has become a common problem for Western countries, including Canada, in recent years. On the one hand, this is because their perception and mentality toward China has become sick. On the other, it reflects their vulnerability and weakness in the face of radical and irrational political forces at home and Washington's hegemony.

When it comes to "foreign intervention," Canada does face a lot of it. But it is barking up the wrong tree: It is Washington that has interfered in Ottawa's internal affairs the most. But these Western countries have neither the courage nor the ability to correct deviations and mistakes in their China policy. They are even more afraid to resist US pressure and often adopt a conniving and pandering attitude. This has led to a collective degradation and misdirection of US and Western diplomacy toward China, of which Canada is a typical example.

Choosing "Chinese interference in Canadian internal affairs" as a point of sensationalism is not accidental. This is a field that the US and its Western allies have long sought to exploit in spreading the "China threat" theory. In the eyes of those who are malicious but lack creativity, there are few things that can better hype up China's "threat" to "Western democracy" and more easily stir up people's sense of urgency and vigilance toward China than "interference in internal affairs." 

However, anyone with a basic understanding of China knows this is pure nonsense. China is a victim of Western interference in its domestic affairs and is the most steadfast defender and practitioner of the principle of non-interference. China has never had any interest in interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. China's historical record in this regard is much cleaner than even Canada's, not to mention the scandalous one of the US.

For a relatively long time, China and Canada have maintained good bilateral relations. The two complemented each other in many aspects, and held various close exchanges and interactions, which was the expected norm for the bilateral relationship. 

Unfortunately, under pressure from the US, Canada has repeatedly made wrong decisions, pushing it further away from becoming a "middle power" known for mediation and reconciliation. When some Canadians point their finger at China over "interference in internal affairs," their powerful neighbor, the US, is gloating and laughing up its sleeve. 

How Canada truly shows its resistance to foreign interference lies in where it stands in defending its national interests rather than the interests of politicians, and choosing the right path for the country. In this regard, Ottawa needs to show courage and earn respect for itself.

A statement from the Chinese Embassy in Canada said, "Should the Canadian side continue to make provocations, China will play along every step of the way until the very end." These are assertive words, indicating the malicious behavior of the Canadian side. It is truly sad that Canada's diplomacy toward China has been hijacked and coerced so easily by a few anti-China politicians who use false reports to manipulate the media. We hope that the history of mutually beneficial and win-win relations between China and Canada in the past few decades will enable Canada to return to a calm and rational attitude toward China as soon as possible.