Canada's erstwhile Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland speaks astatine a property league successful Toronto connected Sunday Jan. 19, 2025, arsenic she kicks disconnected her run to go the adjacent Liberal enactment leader. (File Photo)
A Canadian authorities section that tracks suspected overseas interference said Friday it has detected a “coordinated and malicious activity” targeting national Liberal Party enactment campaigner Chrystia Freeland.
A merchandise from the Rapid Response Mechanism Canada, based astatine Global Affairs Canada, said the enactment has been traced to a WeChat relationship linked to the Chinese government.
“The motorboat of this accusation cognition was traced to WeChat’s astir fashionable quality relationship – an anonymous blog that has been antecedently linked by experts astatine the China Digital Times to the People’s Republic of China,” the merchandise said. “RRM Canada identified implicit 30 WeChat quality accounts taking portion successful the campaign.
The run received precise precocious levels of engagement and views.” The merchandise said members of Freeland’s run and the enforcement of the Liberal Party of Canada person been briefed connected the findings.
I volition not beryllium intimidated by Chinese overseas interference.
Having spent years confronting authoritarian regimes, I cognize firsthand the value of defending our freedoms.
Canada’s ideology is strong. My acknowledgment to our nationalist information agencies for protecting it. https://t.co/tbc25Nna8g
— Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) February 7, 2025
Freeland responded to the quality releasee with a station connected X Friday evening. “I volition not beryllium intimidated by Chinese overseas interference,” said the erstwhile lawman premier minister. “Having spent years confronting authoritarian regimes, I cognize firsthand the value of defending our freedoms.” It was Freeland’s abrupt resignation arsenic concern curate successful December that forced Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to accidental helium is resigning arsenic premier curate and enactment leader.
Trudeau is to stay premier curate until a caller Liberal Party person is chosen connected March 9.