China Canada Photo: VCG

The accusation of “China's interference in Canada's internal affairs” is a baseless political fabrication, the Chinese Embassy in Canada said on Friday following Canada’s report claiming China “meddled in” its elections. Experts said on Saturday that Canada’s smearing was an attempt to shift its domestic blame, and as long as the country’s groundless accusations continue, there will be a lack of momentum to improve China-Canada relations.

Canada released an interim report on Friday claiming to have found evidence of foreign interference in its last two federal elections, and that China “stands out as a main perpetrator of such interference,” the BBC reported.

The report, which was the first of two expected by Canada’s Foreign Interference Commission, “confirmed” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's assertion that “China tried to meddle in the elections,” according to Reuters. 

In response, the Chinese Embassy in Canada on Friday expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to Canada’s smearing, noting that the accusation of “China's interference in Canada's internal affairs” is a baseless political fabrication. “We have never meddled in Canada's internal affairs, nor do we have any intention to do so,” a spokesperson of the embassy said.

The spokesperson noted that Canada’s report is riddled with contradictions and ideological bias and lacks credibility. It uses terms like “may,” “might,” “potential” and other misleading words, claiming to derive conclusions from “intelligence” yet also states that “intelligence is not proven fact,” and that “not all of the information provided below necessarily has been corroborated or fully assessed.” Such contradictory statements undermine the report's validity and suggest a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, the Chinese embassy said.

“What Canada is doing is just like a thief calling on people to catch a thief. We urge the Canadian side to respect the facts, abandon ideological bias, and stop groundlessly attacking China,” the spokesperson noted.

According to Reuters, the Foreign Interference Commission was set up in 2023 by Trudeau's government under pressure from opposition legislators “unhappy about media reports on China's possible role in the elections.” The commission will release its final report by the end of 2024, media reported.

Cui Hongjian, a professor with the Academy of Regional and Global Governance with Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Saturday that Canada smeared over China “interfering” in their elections in order to shift internal conflicts outward. 

“This could be interpreted as Canada's election strategy to shift blame, allowing the government to deflect numerous domestic criticisms by attributing to China, such as the dissemination of false information,” Cui noted.

Cui said Canada's persistent smearing tactics also serve the purpose of domestic political parties in Canada exploiting China-related issues to gain attention during elections.

Seeing itself as a so-called high ground of human rights, Canada has consistently voiced its opinions and criticisms of China, often taking a stance that reflects its own perspective, analysts said, noting that the emphasis on China-Canada relations in recent years has been generally lukewarm and is not back on track.

As long as Canada persists in making unfounded allegations of Chinese “interference” in elections and portraying China as an adversary, there will be insufficient momentum in bilateral relations, Cui said. Furthermore, as a result of Canada's negative portrayal, China will be more reluctant to engage in meaningful communication or collaboration with Canada, he said.