CCP media control and election interference drive Canada’s largest global surge in dependence on Beijing, a new study shows.

In Brief by Probe International

For the original report, see: CCP Media Control and Election Interference Drive Canada’s Largest Global Surge in Dependence on Beijing by Sam Cooper | The Bureau

Canada’s vulnerability to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence has surged dramatically, according to the 2024 China Index, a project of Taiwan’s Doublethink Lab that measures China’s digital influence globally.

According to the study’s findings, domestic political interference jumped 54.6% following confirmed meddling by the People’s Republic of China in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Canada’s media sector emerges as a critical vector for Beijing’s narrative control, scoring 90.9%—nearly triple the global average—as pro-CCP outlets amplify propaganda on Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang. Canadian society also scored alarmingly high (75%, double the global average), driven by diaspora-linked cultural groups tied to China’s United Front operations.

From a technological standpoint, PRC-linked infrastructure penetration in Canada aligns with the global rise to 78.8%, underscoring systemic risks in critical sectors. Despite modest economic safeguards, Canada’s overall dependence on Beijing now ranks 19th worldwide, fueled by politicized academic ties and lax enforcement; unlike the U.S., Canada has prosecuted no influence cases despite probes into covert “police stations” in major cities.

The Index identifies a “triple movement” in Canada’s relationship with Beijing: surging exposure (47%, 28th globally), intense coercive pressure (70%, 5th worldwide), and startling policy alignment (43%, up from 15%). This alignment reflects Ottawa’s growing accommodation of PRC positions, even as intelligence warns of election interference risks. Canada now ranks second globally in the Ideology Cluster, reflecting CCP sway over academia, media, and cultural institutions. While Ottawa tightened foreign investment rules—slightly reducing economic dependence—political and technological entanglements dominate, with PRC-linked infrastructure embedded nationwide. The findings underscore a paradox: Canada’s dependence on Beijing grows amid public inquiries into interference, revealing a governance gap between acknowledging threats and countering CCP coercion through legal or policy action.

Go to the publisher’s website here for the report in full.