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CSIS chief opens up about China’s interest in Canadian universities

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The head of Canada’s intelligence agency spoke openly about China’s interest in partnering with Canadian universities to gain a military edge during a conference with his Five Eyes counterparts on Tuesday.

“China has been very transparent,” Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Director David Vigneault said.

“Everything that they’re doing in our universities and in new technology, it’s going back into a system very organized to create dual-use applications for the military.”

Vigneault made the comments on stage during a rare public gathering with spy bosses from the U.S., the U.K., Australia and New Zealand.

The representatives of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance are meeting in California’s Silicon Valley at the invitation of FBI Director Christopher Wray to discuss adversaries’ use of technology and threats to innovation and research.

Vigneault said CSIS has been trying to warn Canadian universities about the People’s Republic of China’s motivations and is in the process of setting up a research security centre to provide advice directly to research institutions.

 

CSIS head says he’s warned universities about China’s interest in their research

 

Featured VideoCanadian Security Intelligence Service director David Vigneault spoke at a conference with representatives of Canada’s Five Eyes allies.

“We’re not telling people who they should hire or not hire. But we tell them … if you’re working for one of those seven universities in the PRC associated with the People’s Liberation Army, you know it’s probably not a good idea if you’re working in cutting-edge technology in the university,” said Vigneault.

According to the Hoover Institution, which hosted Tuesday’s event, a cluster of institutions in China, often referred to as the “Seven Sons of National Defence,” collaborate with universities around the world to harvest research and divert it to military applications.

Vigneault said CSIS supports Canadian universities being able to attract talent from around the world, including China.

“But you also need to understand that, unfortunately, the rules of engagement, the rules of the games have changed,” he said.

“They’ve been so bold about what they’re doing, how they have been stealing intellectual property, how they have interfered in our democratic processes, how they have been engaging on campuses, of all places to interfere.”

IP theft ‘unprecedented’

Earlier this year, The Globe and Mail reported that 50 Canadian universities have collaborated for years with a Chinese military research university.

Since 2005, those institutions have published more than 240 joint papers with Chinese military scientists on such topics as quantum cryptography, photonics and space science, said the newspaper.

A man in a dark navy suit and blue tie is flanked by two men wearing masks.
The head of Canada’s spy agency says President Xi Jinping of China is transparent about wanting to use Canadian research. (Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)

In February the Liberal government announced it would ban all federal research grants for projects linked to “foreign state actors” that pose a threat to Canada’s national security — and urged provinces and universities to follow suit.

Mike Burgess, head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, bluntly told the audience that “all nations spy.”

“All nations seek secrets and all nations seek strategic advantage. But the behaviour we’re talking about here goes well beyond traditional espionage,” he told the conference.

“And the threat is that we have the Chinese government engaged in the most sustained, scaled and sophisticated theft of intellectual property and acquisition of expertise that is unprecedented in human history. And that’s why we’re together.”

‘It’s not enough to cry wolf’

During an exchange moderated by former U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, Vigneault also spoke of trying to engage with the Canadian business community on threats.

Recently, leaders in Canada’s business community have been demanding that the intelligence service be given the power to share intelligence with companies being targeted for economic espionage.

Earlier this month, the Business Council of Canada, made up of chief executives and entrepreneurs in the country’s major companies, called on Ottawa to update the CSIS Act so that private firms targeted by foreign interference actually know they’re in danger.

“We need to go out of our way to give concrete examples,” Vigneault acknowledged. “Because it’s not enough to cry wolf.”

Business Council of Canada president Goldy Hyder joined the Canadian delegation at the conference. He said Canadian businesses are more than ready to work with government to protect national security.

“In an era of renewed geopolitical rivalry, when a country’s ability to continuously push the boundaries of science and technology is the foundation upon which military, economic, and cultural power now rests, deep and sustained partnerships between the private and public sectors are necessary to protect our citizens and our prosperity,” he said in a post on social media.

A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister LeBlanc recently said the federal  government is looking at improving information sharing but wouldn’t commit to a timeline.

The Five Eyes intelligence service leaders are taking questions from reporters later tonight.

 

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End of Manitoba legislature session includes replacement-worker ban, machete rules

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WINNIPEG – Manitoba politicians are expected to pass several bills into law before the likely end of legislature session this evening.

The NDP government, with a solid majority of seats, is getting its omnibus budget bill through.

It enacts tax changes outlined in the spring budget, but also includes unrelated items, such as a ban on replacement workers during labour disputes.

The bill would also make it easier for workers to unionize, and would boost rebates for political campaign expenses.

Another bill expected to pass this evening would place new restrictions on the sale of machetes, in an attempt to crack down on crime.

Among the bills that are not expected to pass this session is one making it harder for landlords to raise rents above the inflation rate.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Father charged with second-degree murder in infant’s death: police

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A Richmond Hill, Ont., man has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his seven-week-old infant earlier this year.

York Regional Police say they were contacted by the York Children’s Aid Society about a child who had been taken to a hospital in Toronto on Jan. 15.

They say the baby had “significant injuries” that could not be explained by the parents.

The infant died three days later.

Police say the baby’s father, 30, was charged with second-degree murder on Oct. 23.

Anyone with more information on the case is urged to contact investigators.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

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Ontario fast-tracking several bills with little or no debate

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TORONTO – Ontario is pushing through several bills with little or no debate, which the government house leader says is due to a short legislative sitting.

The government has significantly reduced debate and committee time on the proposed law that would force municipalities to seek permission to install bike lanes when they would remove a car lane.

It also passed the fall economic statement that contains legislation to send out $200 cheques to taxpayers with reduced debating time.

The province tabled a bill Wednesday afternoon that would extend the per-vote subsidy program, which funnels money to political parties, until 2027.

That bill passed third reading Thursday morning with no debate and is awaiting royal assent.

Government House Leader Steve Clark did not answer a question about whether the province is speeding up passage of the bills in order to have an election in the spring, which Premier Doug Ford has not ruled out.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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