The Guardian-Trudeau says he wasnt told by Canada spy agency of China election meddling
April 12, 2024 4 min 658 words
这篇报道主要内容是，加拿大总理特鲁多（Justin Trudeau）在关于外国干涉问题的听证会上作证，称他及其核心顾问从未收到情报机构的报告，称北京“秘密且欺骗性地”干涉了2019年和2021年的联邦大选。特鲁多在听证会上表示，尽管有敌对国家的努力，但之前的联邦选举“保持了完整性”，并表示选举“由加拿大人决定”。然而，他质疑加拿大安全情报局（CSIS）收集信息的可靠性，该局的报告是媒体报道北京涉嫌干涉活动的基础。特鲁多还表示，2023年的一份简报中的信息也没有传达到他或他的工作人员那里，该简报称中国的干涉活动是“务实的”，主要集中在支持那些持北京立场或在中国政府感兴趣的问题上“中立”的人。与CSIS主任大卫·维尼奥尔的证词形成鲜明对比，后者告诉委员会，该局的报告中包括警告和建议政府“采取果断行动并对肇事者进行惩罚”，这些内容已传达给特鲁多内部圈子。CSIS还警告称，除非将���国干涉视为加拿大民主的“生存威胁”，并做出强有力的回应，否则外国干涉将持续存在。但特鲁多的关键幕僚和特鲁多本人都不记得这些警告。这些差异促使CSIS局长再次被召回委员会作证。维尼奥尔在周五告诉委员会律师，尽管他在简报中可能没有提到某些要点，但他曾在其他场合向政府传达过这些警告，包括敌对国家认为选举干涉是“低风险、高回报”的观点。维尼奥尔补充说，该局向官员汇报的方法是“不仅仅是一种方法和一个人”，以确保关键人物能够及时了解情况。特鲁多在作证后向记者发表讲话时，进一步加深了政府与间谍机构之间在CSIS报告准确性问题上的分歧，他表示，“任何政府、任何领导人”都不应该“只是被动的接收者”信息和情报。他还表示，政府有责任“提出问题、进行批判性思考，鼓励进一步核实信息来源并找出矛盾之处”，以确保加拿大人的安全。这篇报道还提到了CSIS曾警告自由党关于北京可能干涉多伦多选区候选人韩栋（Han Dong）提名一事，但特鲁多表示信息“不可信”，不足以采取“重大举措”取消候选资格。特鲁多本人也受到政治对手的批评，因为他告诉委员会他不阅读简报，而是更喜欢亲自或通过安全渠道从国家安全顾问或维尼奥尔等情报官员那里获得关键信息。北京方面否认了所有干涉加拿大事务的指控，中国大使馆发言人称特鲁多在听证会上的言论“诽谤”中国。该委员会由魁北克上诉法院法官玛丽-若泽·霍格（Marie-Josée Hogue）监督，将于5月3日完成初步报告，并于2024年底提交最终报告。 对于这篇报道的评论：这篇报道体现了西方媒体对于中国充满偏见和负面印象的报道倾向。报道以“特鲁多称中国干涉加拿大选举，中方否认并指责特鲁多‘诽谤’”为标题，试图营造一种中国干涉加拿大内政的印象，并在整个报道中多次使用“干涉”、“警告”等负面词汇，渲染紧张气氛。此外，报道中还提及了“共产主义政权”、“恶意行为者”等措辞，体现了西方媒体对中国的意识形态偏见。报道过分强调特鲁多的言论，而对北京方面的否认和解释一带而过，缺乏客观公正的态度。此外，报道中提及的CSIS的警告和情报也需要进一步核实和佐证，不应该仅凭一方的说法就下结论。这篇报道体现了西方媒体在报道中国相关新闻时往往缺乏公正性和客观性，倾向于炒作和渲染负面信息��这不利于公众对中国及其影响力的准确理解和判断。
Canada’s spy agency is under pressure after Justin Trudeau and his closest advisers say they were never made aware of a report that Beijing “clandestinely and deceptively” interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
Canada is in the midst of a contentious public inquiry “examining and assessing” foreign interference by China, Russia, and other foreign states and non-state actors, and this week the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, testified under oath about the steps his government took to respond to the threat of meddling. In his appearance, which lasted nearly four hours, Trudeau insisted that despite the efforts from hostile states, previous federal elections “held in their integrity”.
“[The elections] were decided by Canadians,” Trudeau said.
But he cast doubt on the reliability of information collected by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), which has underpinned media reporting about Beijing’s alleged meddling efforts. Trudeau also said that information in a 2023 briefing note – which said that China’s interference efforts were “pragmatic in nature” and focused primarily in supporting those with a Beijing stance or were “neutral” on issues of interest to the Chinese government – was never relayed to him or his staff.
His remarks contrasted with testimony from the CSIS director, David Vigneault, who told the commission that the warnings in the agency’s reports – including advice that the government “take decisive action and impose consequences on perpetrators” – were passed on to the prime minister’s inner circle.
The CSIS also warned that foreign interference in Canada will persist until it “is viewed as an existential threat” to the country’s democracy and governments respond “forcefully”.
But neither key staffers, nor the prime minister himself, recalled those warnings.
Those discrepancies prompted the head of the CSIS to be recalled to testify once again before the commission.
On Friday, Vigneault told commission lawyers that while he might not have mentioned certain points on briefing notes, he conveyed those warnings to the government on other occasions, including the idea that hostile nations view election meddling as a “low risk, high reward” undertaking.
Vigneault added that his agency’s method for briefing officials was “not just one method and one person” to ensure key figures were brought up to speed.
Speaking to reporters after his testimony, the prime minister deepened the rift between his government and the spy agency over the accuracy of CSIS reports by suggesting “no government, no leader” should “simply be a passive receiver” of information and intelligence.
“We have a role to play in asking questions, on thinking critically … encouraging further work on questioning sources and pulling out contradictions,” he said. “That actually is part and parcel of the work that we all need to do to make sure that everything is done to keep Canadians safe.”
Among the issues was reports that the CSIS had warned the Liberal party about possible Chinese interference in the nomination of Han Dong in Toronto.
“I didn’t feel there was sufficient or sufficiently credible information that would justify this very significant step as to remove a candidate,” Trudeau said.
The prime minister himself has come under fire from political opponents after telling the commission he didn’t read briefing notes, instead preferring to receive key information in person or over a secure line from his national security adviser or top intelligence officials, including Vigneault.
“When there is actually a risk of manipulation by hostile and malicious actors like, say, a communist regime in Beijing, he can’t even take the responsibility of reading his briefing notes,” said Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
Beijing has previously denied all allegations of meddling in Canadian affairs and a spokesperson for the embassy said Trudeau had “slandered” China during the inquiry hearing.
The commission, overseen by Quebec appeals court judge Marie-Josée Hogue, will complete an initial report by 3 May and deliver its final report by the end of 2024.