Canadian lawmakers adopt motion to form security strategy to counter Chinese influence
Nov 19, 2020
Toronto [Canada], November 19 : Canada's parliament has adopted a motion that requires the government to make a decision on Chinese company Huawei's participation in the development of the country's 5G network and to come up with a security strategy to counter Beijing's influence.
The motion was adopted by a 179-146 vote margin by the House Commons on Wednesday, calling on the Justin Trudeau government to take a call on Huawei's participation in the development of the country's 5G network, within a month, Sputnik reported.
It also requires the government to introduce a plan to counter China's growing influence in Canada, similar to a plan introduced by Australia. During a press brief on Tuesday, Trudeau told reporters that the public service would make the determination concerning Huawei's future in the development of the network.
The bilateral relations between the two countries soured after Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was detained in December 2018 in Vancouver. Thereafter, China responded by arresting two Canadian nationals on charges of espionage in China.
Earlier this month, Canadian Security Intelligence Service had revealed that China's covert "anti-corruption" operation named Fox Hunt is attacking members of the Chinese community in Canada to curb dissent among its diaspora.
The intelligence agency said these clandestine activities in Canada are part of Beijing's global campaign of intimidation that constitutes a threat to this country's sovereignty of Canadians, The Globe and Mail reported.
"Certain foreign states routinely attempt to threaten and intimidate individuals around the world through various state entities and non-state proxies. These states, such as the People's Republic of China, may use a combination of their intelligence and security services as well as trusted agents to assist them in conducting various forms of threat activities," (CSIS) spokesperson John Townsend was quoted as saying by The Globe and Mail on Tuesday.
