Canada warns citizens about Chinese attempt to recruit spies

Canada's intelligence agency, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), has warned citizens that China was trying to recruit Canadians to spy for it. The agency said that those recruited did not always realise that they were spying for China. In a rare public appeal, CSIS asked Canadians to remain alert and not fall for attempts by the People's Republic of China Intelligence Services (PRCIS) to recruit them as spies.

CSIS described the method used by PRCIS to recruit Canadians. In its Twitter thread, CSIS said that Chinese agents zero in on people searching for jobs in strategic sectors. They then contact them on LinkedIn. The agents pose as HR managers or recruiters.

The conversation soon moves to other platforms like WeChat or WhatsApp. Job seekers are asked to write reports containing sensitive information for their 'clients' or 'consultants'.

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CSIS said that these clients and consultants are often Chinese intelligence officers.

Those who are recruited for spying are paid for the reports they write for the Chinese agents.

“Intelligence officers may or may not reveal their true affiliation in order to preserve targets’ plausible deniability,” the agency said.

The warning from the Canadian intelligence has come just one week after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada's national police force, said that there were "100 plus" ongoing investigations into suspicions of foreign interference. The police chief, however, stopped short of saying how many were connected to China.

The leaked intelligence reports on how, allegedly, China attempted to influence Canadian elections have rocked the country. The allegations say that Chinese intervention was in favour of the ruling Liberal Party. Reports of now-closed Chinese 'police stations' in Canada have raised questions as well.

China has sought to maintain that it has respect for Canada's internal matters and has termed the allegations "politically driven" and belonging to a campaign to "smear China".

Relations between Canada and China are strained after tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats by both countries.

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