Chinese Overseas Reps Meddled In Canadian City’s Elections, Intel Officials Say

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China has actively interfered in Vancouver’s politics and groomed politicians for office through the use of proxies, China’s Vancouver consulate and partially Chinese-owned media companies, according to Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) documents reviewed by The Globe and Mail.

In a January 2022 report, the agency outlined how China’s former consul-general, Tong Xiaoling, seeking to advance Beijing’s agenda, worked to mentor, or “groom,” Chinese-Canadian politicians for higher offices, according to the documents reviewed by The Globe and Mail. In October 2022, Tong allegedly searched for pro-Beijing city council members to run against then-Mayor Kennedy Stewart who later lost to Ken Sim.

“With regards to the 2022 City of Vancouver mayoral election, CG Tong stated that they need to do all they could to increase the ethnic voting percentage. They needed to get all eligible voters to come out and elect a specific Chinese-Canadian candidate,” according to the document. “CG Tong emphasized this work was necessary, as the candidate will rely on those votes.”

While mayor, the Chinese government criticized Stewart for suspending meetings with Chinese diplomats after they placed sanctions on Canadian MP Michael Chong, according to The Globe and Mail. In May 2022, Stewart was briefed by CSIS and an agency specialist about foreign interference.

CSIS questioned Stewart about the attacks that were brought against him by Tong and Chinese-speaking media partially backed by the Chinese government, according to The Globe and Mail. Stewart noted that he had a strained relationship with Tong due to his pro-democracy position, support for Taiwan and opposition to human-rights violations in China.

Stewart noted that he would like CSIS to investigate possible interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal, municipal and provincial elections, according to The Globe and Mail.

The documents, marked as secret and shared with numerous Canadian agencies, showed that Tong was watching a specific politician to groom, but did not say who, according to The Globe and Mail. Tong shared the individual’s information with an unknown agent who she hoped would become “acquainted with them” to see if they were worth “grooming.”

Tong’s aim was to see if the individual was a “good sapling to cultivate” because Tong “saw great promise,” according to The Globe and Mail. CSIS said the goal of the initiative was to see if the individual “could join a political party that had a long-term strategy regarding their policy towards the PRC.”

Alongside Sim, Lenny Zhou, who traveled to Canada from Beijing as a graduate student, ran for council, citing a rise in racism, according to The Globe and Mail.

Chinese residents represent 20% of Vancouver’s population, according to the Daily Hive.

Tong and Zhou did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

Stewart could not be reached for comment.

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