A Canadian official appointed to investigate allegations that China attempted to subvert the country’s federal elections has abruptly resigned, blaming the “highly partisan atmosphere” surrounding his work. David Johnston was appointed in March amid concerns that Justin Trudeau’s government had failed to respond adequately to the threat of foreign interference in the last two elections. But in a letter to the prime minister on Friday he announced his resignation. “When I undertook the task of Independent Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference, my objective was to help build trust in our…
Tag: Americas
Bolivia Grows Closer to China but Switch from Dollar to Yuan Still Work in Progress
Cochabamba, Bolivia — Discussions are underway for the opening of Chinese banks in Bolivia as La Paz officials consider following the controversial path already taken by Brazil and Argentina to trade with China in its currency, the yuan. The Chinese ambassador to Bolivia, Huang Yazhong, made the announcement earlier this month. “We are working to encourage Chinese commercial banks to open offices in Bolivia.” In his mid-term report in May, Bolivian President Luis Arce referenced Brazil and Argentina as two close countries that have agreements with China to trade in…
China Reportedly to Build Spy Station in Cuba
China and Cuba have reached a secret pact allowing Beijing to build an electronic eavesdropping facility on the island that is 160 kilometers from the United States, U.S. news outlets reported Thursday. A senior White House official described the reports as “not accurate” without specifying what in the reports they took issue with. According to the reports, which first appeared in The Wall Street Journal, the spy facility would allow China to collect electronic communications from throughout the southeastern U.S., where numerous military bases are located, and monitor U.S. ship…
China reportedly reaches secret deal with Cuba to host spy base on island
China has reached a secret deal with Cuba to establish an electronic eavesdropping facility on the island roughly 100 miles from Florida, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing US officials familiar with classified intelligence. Such a spy installation would allow Beijing to gather electronic communications from the south-eastern United States, which houses many US military bases, as well as to monitor ship traffic, the newspaper reported. The US Central Command headquarters is based in Tampa. Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg, the largest US. military base, is based in North…
China Inaugurates Embassy in Honduras
Tegucigalpa, Honduras — China officially inaugurated its embassy in Honduras on Monday, just weeks after the Central American country switched its diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing. The ceremony was held at a hotel in the capital, Tegucigalpa, as Beijing has not yet defined the building where its diplomatic mission will operate. An interim envoy, Yu Bo, will lead the embassy in Honduras and lead the search for a permanent embassy building, officials said. “The Chinese Embassy in Honduras will do everything possible to fulfill the responsibilities of being the…
Erin O’Toole: China targeted me in election, says 2021 rival to Canada’s Trudeau
Canada’s spy agency told former Conservative party leader Erin O’Toole that China campaigned to discredit him and suppress votes ahead of the 2021 election he lost to Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, O’Toole has said. In a briefing on Friday, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (Csis) informed O’Toole about intelligence saying Beijing had targeted him in 2021, when he was Conservative leader and running to defeat Trudeau. “The Csis briefing confirmed to me what I had long suspected – that my party, several of my parliamentary caucus members and myself were the…
US Sanctions 17 Chinese, Mexican Targets Over Fentanyl Production
The United States hit 17 individuals and entities in China and Mexico with sanctions on Tuesday, accusing them of supplying equipment that Mexican drug cartels use to manufacture fentanyl-spiked fake pills for the U.S. market. The move by the U.S. Treasury Department, coordinated with the Mexican government, is part of a U.S. crackdown on the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs from Mexico that are taking the lives of tens of thousands of Americans. The nine companies and eight individuals sanctioned on Tuesday are “directly or indirectly” involved in…
Canadian special rapporteur rules out inquiry into Chinese interference claims
An official named to investigate allegations that China attempted to subvert Canadian elections has announced he will not launch a public inquiry, prompting frustration from critics who say the decision only furthers Beijing’s interests. Special rapporteur David Johnston on Tuesday released a 55-page report on foreign interference in Canadian institutions, warning that subversive efforts represented an “increasing threat” to democracy. “Foreign governments are undoubtedly attempting to influence candidates and voters in Canada,” Johnston wrote. “Much has been done already, but considerably more remains to be done to strengthen our capacity…
Why Chinese Migrants Are Making Risky Journey From South America to US
VOA Mandarin’s Hai Lun, Mo Yu and Ning Lu and VOA Spanish’s Victor Hugo Castillo traveled to Mexican and Texas border cities to talk to Chinese migrants who had come from South America. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee tells the story. Cameras: Hai Lun, Ning Lu, Victor Hugo Castillo, Oscar Cavadia. Voice of America
The China-Mexico fentanyl pipeline: increasingly sophisticated and deadly
For a few days in April, news sites across Latin America were running Instagram photos of a glamorous blond woman enjoying trips around the world. There were pictures of Ana Gabriela Rubio Zea, 32, posing in a blue dress and Yves Saint Laurent handbag outside San Miguel de Allende, ice skating in a miniskirt in Central Park and laughing in the Forbidden City. The social media images were then followed by more recent photos: Rubio, in a sweatshirt and jeans, flanked by officers from the national civil police of Guatemala,…