Chinese-language media in Canada 'dominated' by Communist Party narratives: Report

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The long tentacles of the Chinese Communist Party have reached the Chinese media in Canada, according to a report by Blacklock’s Reporter.

Chinese-language media in this country are “dominated” by CCP “narratives and censorship of pro-democracy voices,” according to a top secret federal memo disclosed by the Commission on Foreign Interference.

The four-page memo from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said CCP agents used “economic incentives” and other tactics to influence coverage by Chinese-language media in Canada. CSIS counted one million Canadian followers on the Chinese-language WeChat platform alone.

“The Chinese Communist Party controls narratives by limiting opportunities for dissenting voices,” the memo said, according to Blacklock’s. “China-friendly narratives inundate Chinese language media in Canada. Censorship including self-censorship is pervasive and alternative media voices are few or marginalized in mainstream Chinese language media.

“This includes traditional media such as newspapers and new media provided by online platforms and apps such as WeChat.”

Analysts who wrote the memo said media outlets were expected to parrot two narratives.

“Two mutually reinforcing messages in its external propaganda are the undermining of ‘anti-China’ forces abroad while upholding China as a successful model for other nations and thus demonstrating the Chinese Communist Party’s competency,” the memo said.

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While the memo did not name the Chinese-language media outlets under CCP influence, the Falun Dafa Association in a 2023 report named La Presse Chinoise and Sing Tao Daily as friendly to the Chinese government.

According to Blacklock’s, former Sing Tao Daily editor Victor Ho testified in 2020 at the Commons Special Committee on Canada-China Relations that CCP influence in Mandarin and Cantonese newsrooms was commonplace.

“The ultimate goal is to brainwash or at least influence our Chinese Canadian audiences into accepting the policies of the Communist Party of China,” Ho said, according to Blacklock’s. “They exploit free airwaves of our broadcasters to convey political propaganda.”