“Covert Operation Reveals Dark Scheme Against Political Candidate”
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The Canadian government department responsible for monitoring suspected foreign meddling announced on Friday that it has uncovered a sinister plot aimed at federal Liberal Party leadership contender Chrystia Freeland. The release from the Rapid Response Mechanism Canada, situated within Global Affairs Canada, revealed that a coordinated and malicious campaign has been identified targeting Freeland, with the origins traced back to a WeChat account associated with the Chinese government.
The statement highlighted that the launch of this disinformation campaign was linked to a popular WeChat news account, which experts have previously connected to the People’s Republic of China. Rapid Response Mechanism Canada identified more than 30 WeChat news accounts participating in this orchestrated effort, which garnered substantial engagement and views.
Freeland’s campaign team and the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada have been briefed on the findings, as detailed in the release. In response to these revelations, Freeland took to social media on Friday evening to affirm her steadfastness in the face of foreign interference, stating, “I will not be intimidated by Chinese foreign interference. Having confronted authoritarian regimes for years, I understand the critical nature of protecting our freedoms.”
The unexpected resignation of Freeland as finance minister in December led to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing his resignation as both prime minister and leader of the party. Trudeau will continue to serve as prime minister until a new leader of the Liberal Party is elected on March 9.
When questioned by the media, the Chinese Embassy in Canada asserted that they were unaware of the alleged campaign mentioned in the statement. However, an unidentified embassy spokesperson emphasized that baseless attacks on China, solely based on the unfounded claims of certain experts, are illogical and undeserving. The Embassy strongly refuted any insinuation of interference in Canada’s internal affairs, particularly regarding the Liberal Party’s leadership race. They further expressed disapproval of attempts to link domestic Canadian matters with China-related issues, citing that maligning China is detrimental to the constructive progression of China-Canada relations.
