Canada's 'Spamoflage' hacking allegations ploy to smear China: Beijing
After Canada linked China to "Spamoflage," a campaign where bots reportedly hijacked the social media accounts of dozens of Canadian MPs, Beijing urged Canada to stop peddling lies that could further hurt bilateral ties. China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, said on Tuesday that Canada has falsely accused China of spreading disinformation on multiple occasions but never presented any evidence to support its claims.
Why does this story matter?
Canada and China's bilateral relations turned frosty in 2018 when Canada, at the United States's request, detained Chinese telecommunications executive Huawei's Meng Wanzhou. Soon, China arrested two Canadians on charges of spying. In 2021, all three were released after reaching an agreement. The Canadian government accused China of interfering in its domestic affairs and announced an independent investigation into the allegations in September.
What was Spamoflage?
The Spamoflage campaign took place in August and September, hacking the Facebook and X accounts of MPs across Canada's political spectrum. It posted bulk messages on them, including allegations against the politicians of criminal and ethical violations. The messages also included deepfakes and claims that a secret US military "weather weapon" caused the Hawaiian wildfires in August. The government eventually removed the bot networks.
Canadian side producing, spreading disinformation: Ning
Accusing Canada of misrepresenting facts, Ning said it is the Canadian side that has been producing and spreading disinformation, including on Xinjiang, Xizang, and Hong Kong, to smear China. "We urge the Canadian side to respect facts and truth, stop spreading China-related lies, and stop words and deeds that would poison the atmosphere of China-Canada relations and damage bilateral relations," she added.
Canada helped China hunt down 'fugitive nationals' for decades: Report
Interestingly, just days ago, CBC's The Fifth Estate, quoting Calvin Chrustie, a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) operations officer, said that the Canadian government helped China hunt down "fugitive Chinese nationals" living abroad for decades. Canada's Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said in April that Canada had illegal "Chinese police stations" for harassing Canadians of Chinese origin, which were shut down later.
Canada's ongoing spat with India
The accusations by China taint the reputation of Canada even further, as it is already engaged in a diplomatic dispute with India. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian government agents in September of being involved in the killing of Canada-based Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. It asked India to cooperate with its investigation into the allegations, which India has rejected, demanding evidence.
