Ottawa [Canada], February 12 (ANI): A sweeping investigation has raised fresh concerns over the global reach of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), detailing how hundreds of organizations in Canada are allegedly intertwined with China’s United Front system, according to The Epoch Times.
Citing research from the Jamestown Foundation, analysts identified at least 575 Canadian groups with identifiable connections to the CCP’s influence apparatus. Across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, the figure reportedly exceeds 2,000.
The report’s author, Cheryl Yu, said the United Front Work Department is designed to project power subtly by embedding party preferences into foreign political, economic, and cultural life without overt pressure.
Speaking at a public event, Yu described it as a system that operates through relationships, prestige, and access, gradually normalizing viewpoints aligned with Beijing. She said Canada’s open institutions and vibrant diaspora communities make it particularly susceptible to such influence efforts.
The newspaper noted that past warnings from intelligence officials have suggested Beijing views influence in Ottawa as a way to soften resistance within alliances it considers obstacles to its rise.
The network cataloged in the study is broad, comprising hometown societies, alumni associations, friendship groups, trade bodies, student organizations, professional associations, and media outlets.
Many present themselves as community or cultural initiatives. However, the research indicates that continued engagement with United Front representatives often steers them toward echoing official CCP narratives, The Epoch Times reported.
Former Air Force commander Christopher Coates said the approach is frequently misunderstood because it is not primarily about stealing secrets. Instead, he explained, it shapes the broader environment so that resistance to Beijing diminishes before it can gain momentum.
Yu noted that most interactions occur in legal gray areas and that many participants may not recognize any political dimension. Nevertheless, critics argue that the cumulative impact can be significant, influencing public debate, discouraging dissent, and extending the party’s voice deep into democratic societies, according to The Epoch Times. (ANI)
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