Connect with us

News

2 National Security Reports Allege China Funded Liberals

Published

on

2 National Security Reports Allege China Funded Liberals

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that he was never briefed on the matter, and his security adviser dismissed it out of hand, but 2 high-level national security reports released before and after the 2019 election indicate that he was warned that Chinese government officials were funneling money to Liberal political candidates.

The two National Security reports, dated 2019 and 2022, raise concerns about what senior federal officials knew about the alleged funding by a foreign interference network and how seriously the Trudeau government took the warnings.

The first is a “Special Report” prepared by the Privy Council Office for the Trudeau administration and dated January 2022. The memo was also finalized, implying that it was intended for Trudeau and his senior aides to read.

According to Global News, Chinese officials in Toronto disbursed money into a covert network tasked with interfering in Canada’s 2019 election.

“A large clandestine transfer of funds earmarked for the federal election from the PRC Consulate in Toronto was transferred to an elected provincial government official via a 2019 federal candidate’s staff member,” according to the PCO report.

The Intelligence Assessment Secretariat compiled this document from 100 Canadian Security Intelligence Service reports. The IAS is a division of the PCO that issues national security alerts to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet regularly.

According to a national security official who explained the report to Global News, the finalized memo was about intelligence gleaned from an ongoing, high-level investigation in the Greater Toronto Area that began in January 2019.

Global News granted anonymity to Intelligence sources, who requested it because they face prosecution under the Security of Information Act.

According to intelligence sources, the provincial official implicated in the alleged clandestine transfer from the Toronto consulate is a member of Ontario’s legislature.

When asked if CSIS Director David Vigneault had briefed Trudeau, his staff, or cabinet on the allegations of covert funding, a CSIS spokesman said, “There are important limits to what I can publicly discuss given the need to protect sensitive activities, techniques, methods, and sources of intelligence.”

“Regarding specific briefings on foreign interference, Director Vigneault committed to working with the Privy Council Office on a consolidated response to parliamentarians during committee proceedings last week,” CSIS spokesman Eric Balsam wrote.

According to Global News, a bipartisan panel of parliamentarians issued an earlier, high-level warning about clandestine funding of China’s “preferred candidates” two months before the 2019 election.

The information came from Parliamentary Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Committee, which reviews national security issues and promotes “government-wide accountability.”

Trudeau established it in 2017, and it reports to the Prime Minister.

This is the same panel Trudeau appointed on Monday to investigate allegations of Chinese election meddling, which Global first reported in November.

However, Trudeau’s appointment of NSICOP and a “special rapporteur” did not address mounting calls from national security experts for a public inquiry into the allegations.

According to the 2019 NSICOP review of foreign interference, “foreign states clandestinely direct contributions to” Canadian politicians.

VOR News

According to the report’s subtitle, “Targeting the Political Nomination Process and Preferred Candidates,” “targeting frequently begins during the nomination process.”

Following the nomination process, “foreign states clandestinely direct contributions to and support for the campaigns and political parties of preferred candidates,” according to the review.

While the document did not examine specific interference activities aimed at the 2019 federal election, it did provide several examples of alleged Chinese election interference involving candidate targeting and funding from 2015 to 2018.

“A [People’s Republic of China] Embassy interlocutor established the ‘tea party,’ a group of community leaders, to hand-pick candidates that it would support and eventually publicly endorse,” it says.

It said a “former PRC Commercial Consul informed PRC businesses of the rules governing Canadian political contributions and urged specific business leaders to donate through Canadian subsidiaries and acquisitions.”

Global News examined an unredacted copy of the NSICOP review, which had not previously been made public.

According to its chair, MP David McGuinty, NSICOP conducted a special review of the threat of foreign interference to Canada and Ottawa’s response to it as part of its mandate.

“The Committee heard testimony from dozens of officials from Canada’s security and intelligence communities, reviewed thousands of pages of documentation, both classified and open source, and deliberated at length,” McGuinty said in a March 2020 statement, adding that the reports “were submitted to the Prime Minister on August 30, 2019.”

trudeau

While the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed to Global News on Feb. 7 that Trudeau received and reviewed the NSICOP document, spokeswoman Alison Murphy said Tuesday that Trudeau was unaware of Beijing directing funds to political candidates.

“We have no information on any federal candidates receiving money from China, as the Prime Minister stated last fall,” Murphy said.

Global News was the first to report in November on intelligence from the January 2022 “Special Report,” which alleged a sophisticated election interference network orchestrated by the Chinese consulate in Toronto to interfere in the October 2019 election.

According to reports, the group included at least 11 candidates and 13 or more aides. According to sources, an Ontario MPP was also involved, and the group included both witting and unwitting Liberals and Conservatives.

According to sources, this “clandestine transfer of funds” allegedly involved the consulate using a regime-friendly group to act as an intermediary to disburse about $250,000 to a staff member of a 2019 federal candidate. The funds were then allegedly transferred to alleged network members by the aide.

According to Global’s sources, the January 2022 briefs did not mention the network’s alleged clandestine methods or the amount of money involved.

When asked in December if Global News got anything wrong in its earlier reporting, Trudeau denied knowledge of the alleged Chinese disbursements, saying, “I never got briefings on candidates receiving money from China in all the briefings and all the serious briefings I got.”

trudeau

Jody Thomas, Trudeau’s national security and intelligence adviser, was questioned by the National Defence Committee late last year about alleged Chinese funding of candidates.

“The news stories about interference that you’ve read are just that — news stories,” Thomas said in December. “I’ll just say it: we’ve never seen money go to 11 candidates.”

Last Thursday, MP Michael Cooper followed up on Thomas’s specific remark at a Parliamentary committee on Foreign Interference hearing.

“You stated that no money was exchanged during the 2019 election, and we have seen no money go to 11 candidates, period,” Cooper said. “Could you please confirm that those were your words?”

“I’m not sure if that was my exact quote,” she said. “However, the link between 11 candidates and $250,000 was incorrect.”

To watch the video, click here: ‘For a very long time,’ Canadian national security agencies have dealt with foreign interference.

In response to Global’s questions about her testimony and her knowledge of the January 2022 “Special Report,” Privy Council Office spokesman Stephane Shank said, “Ms. Thomas will not comment on information that was improperly obtained.”

Shank cited Thomas’ December testimony, “during which the NSIA stated, ‘we have not seen money going to 11 candidates.'”

trudeau

The 2019 NSICOP memo review and the 2022 PCO Special Report aren’t the only high-level warnings the Prime Minister’s office issued about foreign funding schemes. According to a PCO memo delivered to the PMO four months after the 2019 election, China secretly transferred money to preferred candidates, as Global reported in December.

“Community leaders facilitate the clandestine transfer of funds and recruit potential targets,” according to the report.

“Its extensive network of quasi-official and local community and interest groups allowed it to obfuscate communication and the flow of funds between Canadian targets and Chinese officials,” according to the report.

Furthermore, according to the document, community leaders and “co-opted” political staffers “under broad guidance” from the Toronto consulate served as intermediaries between Chinese officials and the politicians Beijing sought to influence.

According to the document, the result of these operations is that “staff of targeted politicians provide advice on China-related issues” to the Chinese consulate.

According to the document, other network operators handle funding and attempt to recruit Canadian politicians. It also warned that such influence operations would be “more persistent and pervasive in future elections.”

Bill Blair, the former public safety minister, is the only senior Liberal government official who has acknowledged receiving the February 2020 PCO memo.

Blair, now the Minister for Emergency Preparedness, acknowledged receiving “certain information” from the 2020 memo but declined to elaborate. “I’m not able to share the details of that,” Blair, the only minister to admit it, said.

During last week’s parliamentary hearing on foreign interference, Thomas confirmed that Trudeau and members of his cabinet had received numerous briefs and memos on Chinese election interference schemes in 2019 and 2021 since January 2022.

When asked if Trudeau had been briefed on the February 2020 Privy Council Office memo, Thomas stated that she believed several of Trudeau’s members would have received it, but she did not say whether the Prime Minister had.

Government officials have long maintained that foreign interference will not jeopardize the overall integrity of the elections in 2019 and 2021.

CSIS Director Vigneault agreed with this assessment last week but suggested that Canada establish a registry that tracks foreign agents engaged in political activity to mitigate election interference.

On Monday, Trudeau reiterated the government’s earlier promise to begin consultations on establishing such a registry.

Meanwhile, the PCO’s January 2022 “Special Report” warns that China’s attacks on Canadian democratic institutions go far beyond interference in the 2019 and 2021 elections.

“We assess that Canada remains highly vulnerable to Chinese foreign interference efforts,” according to the 2022 PCO document. “We base this decision on intelligence that reveals deep and persistent Chinese Communist Party interference attempts over a decade.”

Source: Global News

Justin Trudeau Targets Whistleblower

Justin Trudeau Refutes CSIS Report on China’s Election Meddling, Targets Whistleblower

Elon Musk New Twitter CEO Liberals Lose their Minds

Elon Musk New Twitter CEO Liberals Lose their Minds

Geoff Thomas is a seasoned staff writer at VORNews, a reputable online publication. With his sharp writing skills and deep understanding of SEO, he consistently delivers high-quality, engaging content that resonates with readers. Thomas' articles are well-researched, informative, and written in a clear, concise style that keeps audiences hooked. His ability to craft compelling narratives while seamlessly incorporating relevant keywords has made him a valuable asset to the VORNews team.

News

Banning TikTok Would Hit China’s Tech Ambitions And Deepen The Global Digital Divide

Published

on

Understanding What Happens When You Buy TikTok Followers
AP - VOR News Image

TikTok is currently confronting a profound and fundamental dilemma in the United States. If the app’s Chinese owner does not successfully sell it within the next year or so, it could be prohibited in its largest market.

This would significantly hinder China’s technological aspirations and exacerbate the separation between two distinct digital realms that revolve around competing economic superpowers.

ByteDance may be required to sell TikTok in order to avoid a nationwide ban under the legislation that Congress approved on Tuesday. President Joe Biden is anticipated to officially approve the bill on Wednesday; TikTok has already expressed its intention to contest the law through legal means.

Beijing has expressed significant opposition to a compulsory divestiture of TikTok and has amended its export control regulations to grant itself the authority to prohibit a sale based on national security concerns. ByteDance has limited choices to ensure TikTok’s future in the US, its largest market with 170 million users.

“The compelled divestiture of TikTok in the United States would result in a devaluation of the application, as the Chinese government will not authorize the transfer of its algorithms,” stated Alex Capri, a research fellow at the Hinrich Foundation and a lecturer at the Business School of the National University of Singapore.

He stated, “Should TikTok be compelled to cease operations in the United States, ByteDance’s prospects in other predominantly liberal democracies will face additional scrutiny.”

tiktok

The Times – VOR News Image

Banning TikTok Would Hit China’s Tech Ambitions And Deepen The Global Digital Divide

The sale can be completely prevented if the Chinese government refuses to allow ByteDance to give over TikTok’s algorithm. Alternatively, it may enable the sale of TikTok without including the highly profitable algorithm that is the foundation for its widespread appeal.

The United States’ imposition of a ban or the implementation of a diminished iteration of TikTok would result in a significant financial gain.

Capri stated that YouTube, Google, Instagram, and other TikTok rivals may experience a significant loss of customers. Furthermore, this would significantly impede ByteDance’s global aspirations.

“A TikTok ban would signal that the Chinese government prioritizes the security of the algorithm over ByteDance’s financial success and global growth, ultimately putting an end to ByteDance’s worldwide expansion,” stated Richard Windsor, a tech industry analyst and the founder of Radio Free Mobile, a US-based research company.

“The consequences suggest that the ideological conflict occurring in the technology industry will escalate.”

Capri suggests that a ban on TikTok is expected to expedite a division in the global technology industry, creating two distinct factions: one oriented around the United States and the other supporting Chinese technology.

“The action taken against TikTok in the United States represents not only a division between Chinese and Western applications in the platform economy, but also a broader division in the global technology landscape,” he stated.

“This encompasses various aspects such as the ownership and operation of data centers, the presence of internet satellites in space, the existence of undersea cables, and, naturally, the production of semiconductors.”

From that perspective, the TikTok ban has a positive aspect for Beijing.

“The imposition of a ban in the United States will trigger renewed endeavors to expand China’s digital influence in Southeast Asia, as well as other predominantly emerging markets across the globe,” stated Capri.

Rising difficulties faced by Chinese applications

The TikTok legislation was incorporated into a comprehensive foreign aid package aimed at assisting Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan.

After President Biden’s approval, ByteDance will be given a maximum of one year to finalize the sale, or the platform will be subjected to a practical prohibition.

tiktok

CBC – VOR News Image

Banning TikTok Would Hit China’s Tech Ambitions And Deepen The Global Digital Divide

US officials and politicians have consistently voiced apprehensions regarding TikTok’s potential national security hazards, such as the possibility of data sharing with the Chinese government or the manipulation of platform content. However, TikTok has refuted the allegations.

Paul Triolo, partner for China and Technology Policy Lead at Albright Stonebridge Group, stated that the new divestiture bill is a direct outcome of a well-coordinated lobbying campaign by Silicon Valley venture capitalists affiliated with US technology companies. These companies are expected to gain advantages from the narrative of the China threat that the bill’s supporters have been promoting.

According to him, Chinese enterprises and apps operating in the US are encountering increasing difficulties.

The Biden administration is strengthening a recently established office within the Commerce Department to enforce the conditions of a regulation implemented during the Trump era. This rule safeguards US information technology supply chains, particularly linked apps. This rule may also be utilized to advocate for additional limitations.

“Triolo stated that it is improbable for Congress to specifically target another Chinese company, such as TikTok, in a particular bill. However, the Commerce IT supply chain rule could potentially be utilized in the future to restrict the access of Chinese companies and apps to certain segments of the US market,” Triolo explained.

Can we expect a retaliatory response from Beijing?

The Commerce Ministry of China has committed to implementing all “essential actions” to safeguard its interests following the approval of a previous iteration of the TikTok bill by the House of Representatives last month. However, it did not provide further details.

On Wednesday, Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, responded to a question from CNN’s Marc Stewart by stating, “Regarding the TikTok issue, we have already expressed our position clearly, and I have no additional comments to make today.”

The Chinese government has already prohibited using most American social networking applications. Presently, Beijing restricts access to most US social media platforms, including Google, YouTube, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook. This is due to their non-compliance with the Chinese government’s regulations regarding data collecting and the nature of shared content.

Triolo anticipates that Beijing will not respond with a significant level of intensity to the US prohibition on TikTok.

tiktok

CTV – VOR News Image

Banning TikTok Would Hit China’s Tech Ambitions And Deepen The Global Digital Divide

“Beijing has expressed its opposition to any compulsory sale of TikTok US by Bytedance, but its main concern lies in the transfer of technology,” he stated. “Broadly speaking, Beijing places significantly less importance on a social media company compared to its concerns regarding US technology regulations.”

“Beijing is highly likely to respond with strong retaliation to new US export controls, but it is unlikely to reciprocate if the US eventually attempts to ban TikTok in the US,” he added.

Beijing recently instructed Apple (AAPL) to eliminate social messaging applications WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram from its China app store. However, the Chinese government has yet to take significant actions to suppress virtual private networks (VPNs), which technologically adept Chinese individuals commonly utilize to interact with friends overseas through messaging applications.

“The timing of the move was probably intended to demonstrate China’s ongoing commitment to blocking certain apps that it deems a threat to national security. However, it is worth noting that the number of users of the blocked apps in China is significantly lower than the approximately 170 million TikTok users in the United States,” Triolo stated.

SOURCE – (CNN)

Continue Reading

Business

Global Negotiations On A Treaty To End Plastic Pollution At Critical Phase In Canada

Published

on

plastic
AP - VOR News Image

Ontario, Canada. Negotiators from most states are currently discussing the draft of a worldwide treaty aimed at eradicating plastic pollution, marking the first instance of such negotiations.

Delegates and observers at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution regarded it as a positive development, and discussions have transitioned from conceptualization to the formulation of a treaty at this fourth out of five planned plastics summits.

The concept of internationally restricting the production of plastic is highly controversial. The document continues to exist despite the vehement opposition from countries and companies involved in plastic production, as well as oil and gas exporters. The majority of plastic is derived from fossil fuels and chemical compounds.

The Ottawa session was set for late Monday or early Tuesday. During Monday night’s meeting, there was a heated debate about whether the working groups should prioritize the issue of plastic manufacture before the upcoming and final meeting.

plastic

AP – VOR News Image

Global Negotiations On A Treaty To End Plastic Pollution At Critical Phase In Canada

According to Stewart Harris, a representative of the International Council of Chemical Associations, the members are advocating for a treaty that specifically addresses the recycling and reuse of plastic, sometimes known as “circularity.”

Harris expressed the desire for the deal to be finalized. “We desire to collaborate with the governments in order to execute it.” The private sector has a significant responsibility to fulfill.

Many scientists from the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty attended the meeting to present scientific facts on plastic pollution to negotiators. Their objective was to counteract any misinformation that may be circulating.

Bethanie Carney Almroth, an ecotoxicology professor at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg and coalition co-leader, stated that yesterday’s claim about the lack of microplastic data is factually incorrect. In reality, there have been 21,000 published articles on micro and nanoplastics. “It resembles the game Whac-A-Mole.”

plastic

AP – VOR News Image

Global Negotiations On A Treaty To End Plastic Pollution At Critical Phase In Canada

According to her, scientists have been subjected to harassment and intimidation by lobbyists. She informed the United Nations that a lobbyist shouted directly at her during a meeting.

Ecuador’s lead negotiator, Walter Schuldt, stated that despite their divergences, the countries represented have a shared objective of advancing in the treaty process.

“In the interview, he emphasized that we are discussing the preservation of life in the future, encompassing not only human life but also all forms of life on Earth,” he stated.

He expressed his pride in participating in and contributing his small but meaningful effort to the worldwide initiative to tackle an environmental issue.

The negotiators’ objective is to finalize a treaty by the conclusion 2024. The topics given to expert working groups by tonight will progress to the final stage of discussions in autumn in South Korea.

Without undertaking this preparatory work in between meetings, it would be intimidating to successfully conclude the negotiations within this year. Several nations expressed their dedication to collaborating during the intervals between talks on Sunday evening.

The treaty negotiations commenced in Uruguay in December 2022, and Rwanda and Peru’s subsequent submission of the resolution initiated the process in March 2022.

Progress was sluggish at the Paris discussions in May 2023 and the Nairobi talks in November as countries deliberated about the process’s regulations.

Upon the arrival of numerous negotiators and observers in Ottawa, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the committee chair from Ecuador, reminded them of their objective and urged them to exhibit ambition.

“We have a responsibility to create a new treaty that will stimulate and direct the necessary actions and global collaboration to achieve a future devoid of plastic pollution,” he stated. “We must not disappoint them.”

The delegates have discussed the treaty’s scope, chemicals of concern, problematic and avoidable plastics, product design, and financing and implementation.

Delegates also simplified the cumbersome assortment of choices from the previous meeting.

Many individuals journeyed to Ottawa from communities impacted by plastic manufacture and pollution. Residents residing near petrochemical plants and refineries in Louisiana and Texas distributed postcards to the U.S. State Department with the message, “We desire your presence.”

plastic

AP – VOR News Image

Global Negotiations On A Treaty To End Plastic Pollution At Critical Phase In Canada

The members of the Break Free From Plastic movement journeyed collectively and urged negotiators to personally witness air and water contamination in their regions.

“This remains the most optimal choice we possess to witness transformation in our communities.” Corporations heavily influence them. Jo Banner, a St. John the Baptist Parish resident in Louisiana, expressed their inability to attend the local government. “It seems that this is my sole opportunity and source of optimism to assist my community in recovering and finding solace.”

Members of an Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus held a news conference on Saturday. They expressed concern that microplastics are polluting their food supply. They emphasized that this pollution threatens their communities and ways of life, which are guaranteed to them indefinitely. They perceived a lack of acknowledgment of their opinions.

“Our stakes are larger.” “These are our hereditary territories that are being contaminated with plastic,” Juressa Lee, a resident of New Zealand, expressed following the occurrence. “We are individuals or groups who possess legal rights, rather than individuals or groups with an interest or involvement in a particular issue.” We should be granted greater autonomy in expressing our opinions and judgments than individuals responsible for the issue.

Historically, plastic was not present, but currently, in the Bay of Plenty, the sediment and shellfish, which serve as their seafood supply, are contaminated with little plastic particles. Lee stated that they consider nature’s “resources” as valuable assets.

“Indigenous methods can serve as a guiding force,” Lee stated. “The current approach we are taking is evidently ineffective.”

Vi Waghiyi journeyed from Alaska to advocate for the rights and interests of Arctic Indigenous communities. She emphasizes to decision-makers the need to ensure that this pact provides long-term protection against plastic pollution for future generations.

She stated that their purpose in being here is to serve as the moral compass, ensuring that the decisions made are in the best interest of all individuals.

SOURCE – (AP)

Continue Reading

Business

EU Investigates Meta Over Fears Of Election Interference And Foreign Disinformation

Published

on

threads
AP News - VOR News Image

European Union authorities are investigating Meta because they worry that the firm has not taken sufficient measures to safeguard the next EU elections or address the issue of foreign disinformation on its platforms. This investigation could result in significant fines or other types of punishment.

On Monday, the European Commission revealed that the new investigation specifically focuses on management of fraudulent and foreign actors interfering in elections advertising. The investigation will also look into Meta’s decision to discontinue a tool that journalists and researchers frequently use to keep an eye on facebook’s platforms.

meta

reuters – VOR News Image

EU Investigates Meta Over Fears Of Election Interference And Foreign Disinformation

The probe represents the most recent instance of European regulators asserting their authority over US tech firms in response to implementing a series of new regulations to curb their power.

Authorities have stated that the inquiry brings attention to evident breaches of the Digital Services Act, Europe’s prominent legislation regulating internet platforms. If the crimes are verified, they might result in substantial fines amounting to 6% of Meta’s worldwide turnover.

As part of the investigation, officials are examining if Meta’s efforts to reduce the ranking of political information in users’ feeds may breach the transparency regulations of the DSA. Furthermore, Meta’s options for users to report illicit content do not seem to comply with the criteria of the DSA.

meta

reuters – VOR News Image

EU Investigates Meta Over Fears Of Election Interference And Foreign Disinformation

The probe follows Meta’s submission of necessary documentation to the European Commission last autumn, detailing its approach to addressing perceived hazards associated with its products. The probe conducted on Monday shows the European Union’s doubt that Meta has effectively mitigated such risks.

The study places a lot of emphasis on Meta’s decision to stop using CrowdTangle, a tool that civil society organizations had previously used to keep an eye on hot topics on Facebook and Instagram.

According to the European Commission, in the absence of it, users and researchers may encounter less transparency regarding the operations of Meta services, which could limit their ability to spot and address instances of foreign election manipulation.

The company announced earlier this year that CrowdTangle will cease to be accessible after August 14.

The European Commission has stated that discontinuing support for CrowdTangle without a suitable alternative could harm civic discourse and electoral processes. This includes tracking and identifying mis- and disinformation, detecting voter interference and suppression, and providing real-time transparency to fact-checkers, journalists, and other stakeholders involved in elections.

meta

bloomberg – VOR News Image

EU Investigates Meta Over Fears Of Election Interference And Foreign Disinformation

A spokeswoman from Facebook stated that the company will collaborate with the investigation.

The representative stated that our platforms have a firmly established procedure for identifying and reducing hazards. “We anticipate maintaining our collaboration with the European Commission and furnishing them with additional specifics regarding this project.”

SOURCE – (CNN)

Continue Reading

Volunteering at Soi Dog

Download Our App

vornews app

Trending