Ottawa officials said in a report Monday that the campaign centers around a popular anonymous news account called Youli-Youmia, which is linked to a Chinese state agency responsible for policing, intelligence and internal security. A China-linked information campaign is using a network of WeChat accounts to attack Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ahead of the country’s upcoming federal election, authorities said. According to Canadian intelligence, the operation used a coordinated network of WeChat accounts to amplify shifting narratives about Carney, a former central banker running for a parliamentary seat in Nepean, Ontario. The Youli-Youmian account has previously targeted other Canadian officials, including lawmaker Michael Chong in June 2023 and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland in January 2025. In January, Beijing imposed tariffs on over $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products, retaliating against Ottawa’s trade actions on Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminum. In October 2023, Canadian officials were barred from using WeChat on government-issued devices over privacy and security concerns. Independent Chinese media have reported that employees at state-owned enterprises are sometimes assigned to promote such content as part of their work duties, suggesting state-directed efforts behind the campaign. “It is simply absurd and unjustified to launch a groundless smear and attack against the Chinese government on the basis of individual remarks on a social media platform,” the spokesperson said in a comment to Chinese newspaper Global Times. The operation targets Canadian-Chinese communities, specifically people living in Canada who speak Chinese languages, according to the report. The federal election in Canada is scheduled for April 28, with four major parties contesting: the governing Liberals, the Conservatives, the New Democrats (NDP) and the Bloc Quebecois. Some posts reached as many as 3 million views — far surpassing engagement levels typical of state-run Chinese outlets such as People’s Daily.
This Cyber News was published on therecord.media. Publication date: Tue, 08 Apr 2025 13:40:23 +0000