Canadian authorities are worried there may be more Chinese ‘police stations’ operating in the country.
Marco Mendicino, the public safety minister, disclosed this on the Canadian TV station on Sunday.
“I am confident that the (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) have taken concrete action to disrupt any foreign interference in relationship to those so-called police stations, and that if new police stations are popping up and so on, that they will continue to take decisive action going forward,” Mr Mendicino said.
In March, the police claimed they were investigating whether two community centres in Montreal used to intimidate or harass Canadians of Chinese origin.
Earlier this month, the Canadian Press reported the centres were still in operation despite Mr Mendicino’s claims that Chinese ‘police stations’ in Canada had been shut.
China denied allegations of interfering in Canada’s affairs.
Mr Mendicino’s comments followed a diplomatic spat between China and Canada, resulting in each country expelling diplomats. Last week, Canada expelled Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei. The next day, China expelled Canadian diplomat .
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government had been pressured to clamp down on suspected Chinese interference and call a public inquiry into the matter. He has since appointed a “special investigator” to investigate the matter.
Mr Trudeau said China attempted to meddle in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections.
Media outlets in Canada have also published several reports citing allegations by anonymous intelligence sources that the Chinese government ran schemes to interfere in Canada’s last two elections.
China denied the claims.
