Trudeau orders new probes into alleged election interference by China
Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, will appoint an independent special rapporteur to investigate alleged Chinese interference in Canadian elections, he said on Monday, and also announced separate new probes into the suspected foreign interference.
Canadian media have recently published detailed reports, citing anonymous intelligence sources, alleging schemes run by China to interfere in Canada's elections in 2021 and 2019.
The rapporteur will be an "eminent Canadian" and will have the power to make recommendations on foreign interference including a public inquiry, Trudeau said.
The Prime Minister also asked lawmakers in the parliament's national security committee to launch an investigation into the alleged foreign election interference.
The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP), an intelligence watchdog, will investigate and report its findings to the parliament.
The prime minister also said he would ask another oversight agency, the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA), to review how national security agencies in Canada handled the alleged foreign interference threat.
Trudeau and Canada's top security officials have acknowledged interference attempts by China, but they insist that election outcomes were not altered. They have not confirmed the media reports.
China denies all allegations of interference, saying it has no interest in meddling with Canada's internal affairs.
Reuters
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