Canada says faces election interference threats from China and India

• Hostile actors increasingly using AI to meddle in polls: senior official.
• Russia can also conduct foreign interference activities, warns Lloyd.
• "Such threats can erode public trust in democratic process." 

OTTAWA: China and India are likely to try to interfere in the Canadian general election on April 28, while Russia and Pakistan have the potential to do so, the country's spy service said on Monday.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) made its comments at a time when Ottawa’s relations with both India and China remain strained. Beijing and New Delhi have denied previous allegations of interference.

Canada was slow to respond to attempts by China and India to interfere in the 2019 and 2021 elections, but an official probe concluded in January that their meddling did not affect the outcomes.

Vanessa Lloyd, deputy director of operations at CSIS, told a press conference that hostile state actors were increasingly utilising artificial intelligence to meddle in elections.

“The PRC (People’s Republic of China) is highly likely to use AI-enabled tools to attempt to interfere with Canada’s democratic process in this current election,” she said.

Earlier this month, Beijing announced tariffs on more than $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products, retaliating against levies Ottawa imposed on Chinese electric vehicles, steel, and aluminium products last year.

Canada said last week that China had executed four Canadian citizens on drug smuggling charges, strongly condemning Beijing’s use of the death penalty.

Last year, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats – including the head of mission – over allegations they were involved in a plot against Sikh separatists on Canadian soil.

“We have also seen that the government of India has the intent and capability to interfere in Canadian communities and democratic processes,” said Lloyd.

Russia and Pakistan could potentially conduct foreign interference activities against Canada, Lloyd added.

“It is often very difficult to establish a direct link between foreign interference activities and election results [.…] Nevertheless, such threats can erode public trust in the integrity of Canada’s democratic processes and institutions,” she said.

The Indian diplomatic mission in Ottawa was not immediately available for comment.

Whereas, China said it was not interested in interfering in Canada's internal affairs.

China has never been interested in interfering in Canada's internal affairs, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Tuesday, when asked about Canada saying China and India are likely to interfere in the Canadian general election.

China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the ministry, said in a regular press briefing.