The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has warned that China and India are “highly likely” to attempt interference in the country’s upcoming general elections, scheduled for April 28.
The intelligence agency made the assertion on Monday amid already tense diplomatic relations between Ottawa and Beijing, as well as New Delhi. Both countries have previously denied allegations of foreign interference.
Speaking at a press conference, Vanessa Lloyd, CSIS’s deputy director of operations, said that foreign actors were increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to influence democratic 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,” she stated.
Lloyd further claimed that India also had the “intent and capability” to interfere in Canada’s democratic institutions. “We have also seen that the government of India has the intent and capability to interfere in Canadian communities and democratic processes,” she added.
Diplomatic rift
The allegations come at a time when relations between Canada and India have been strained. Ottawa last year expelled six Indian diplomats, including the head of mission, over allegations of involvement in a plot targeting Sikh separatists on Canadian soil. India has consistently dismissed these claims as “baseless and politically motivated.”
Meanwhile, an official probe released in January found that while China and India had sought to interfere in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections, their efforts had not altered the results. The report described India as the second most active country in terms of foreign interference, claiming it used disinformation as a “key tactic” and might have attempted to provide covert financial support to preferred candidates in the 2021 elections without their knowledge.
New Delhi strongly rejected the findings, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissing the report’s conclusions and urging Ottawa to refrain from making such allegations. “We reject the report’s insinuations on India and expect that the support system enabling illegal migration will not be further countenanced,” an MEA statement said.
Tensions with China
The latest intelligence warning also comes as relations between Canada and China continue to deteriorate. Earlier this month, Beijing imposed tariffs on over $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products in response to levies Ottawa had placed on Chinese electric vehicles, steel, and aluminum products last year.
Additionally, Canada last week condemned China after reports surfaced that Beijing had executed four Canadian citizens on drug smuggling charges.
The diplomatic missions of China and India in Ottawa were not immediately available for comment on the latest allegations.
Meanwhile, Mark Carney, who replaced Justin Trudeau as Canada’s prime minister, has expressed a desire to repair relations with India. He had earlier pledged to strengthen ties with New Delhi if given the opportunity, raising questions over the timing of Ottawa’s renewed accusations.
