Canadian researchers have called for a unified G7 strategy to counter what they describe as 'systemic' Chinese foreign interference, warning that Beijing's tactics are evolving as its agents embed deeper into democratic societies. The appeal, timed to coincide with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Ottawa, reflects growing urgency among security analysts over the pace and sophistication of influence operations targeting allied nations.

The Report and Its Findings

The study, titled 'Guarding the G7: Countering Beijing's Interference Operations', was authored jointly by Marie Lamensch and Kyle Matthews of the Montreal Institute for Global Security. Drawing on open-source research and direct interviews, it examines Chinese interference case studies across all seven G7 members: Italy, Japan, France, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.

The report pays particular attention to China's United Front Work Department, which it describes as coordinating a broad ecosystem of political, business, academic, media, and civil society groups operating legally within democratic nations. According to the report, these groups often maintain legitimate ties while simultaneously pursuing long-term narrative influence aligned with Beijing's interests.

Lamensch, who serves as Director of Global Affairs at the Montreal Institute, characterised China's approach using an analogy: 'It's a little bit like the ancient Chinese game wei chi. It takes space over a long time, it is adaptive, and the government basically takes its time.' She also flagged universities across G7 nations as vulnerable to academic partnerships pursued for strategic rather than scholarly purposes.

Calls for Action on Parliament Hill

Speaking alongside the report's authors on Parliament Hill, former Canadian MP John McKay urged Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand to raise the foreign interference issue directly with Wang Yi during his Ottawa visit. 'As this is an opportunity for a reset of our relationships between Canada and China, I hope that both ministers will take the opportunity to operationalise that reset so that this level of interference ceases,' McKay said.

McKay further appealed to journalists to press both Anand and Wang Yi on any specific commitments the Chinese government may make to curtail interference activities in Canada. According to an official statement released by the Canadian government on 22 May, the Anand–Wang Yi meeting in Ottawa was intended to advance pragmatic engagement and implement the updated Canada-China Strategic Partnership, covering trade, investment, global security, and bilateral issues.

Transnational Repression and Uyghur Rights

The report also documented instances of transnational repression, including the intimidation of Chinese nationals through so-called 'police stations' reportedly established in Canadian cities. The authors stressed that coordinated national strategies, foreign influence registries, and robust intelligence sharing among allies are essential tools for countering these activities.

Separately, the Canada-based Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project (URAP) urged Prime Minister Mark Carney and Minister Anand to publicly raise the mass detention and surveillance of Uyghurs in Xinjiang — officially the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region — during their meeting with Wang Yi. The group called on Canadian leaders to highlight ongoing forced labour, supply-chain abuses, and what it characterised as a growing pattern of transnational repression targeting Uyghur activists and human rights defenders in Canada.

URAP warned that advancing memoranda of understanding and broader strategic partnership agreements with Beijing — while what it terms a 'genocide' against Uyghurs persists — risks undermining Canada's own human rights commitments. The group also raised concerns over reportedly undisclosed law enforcement cooperation agreements and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) memoranda of understanding involving information sharing and coordination with Chinese public security authorities. Critics cited by the group argued such agreements lack transparency and parliamentary scrutiny.

'We cannot normalise relations with the Chinese government while Uyghurs remain imprisoned, families are separated, and survivors of repression continue to seek justice. Economic cooperation must never come at the expense of human rights,' said URAP Executive Director Mehmet Tohti.

The Case of Huseyin Celil

URAP also renewed attention to the case of Huseyin Celil, a Uyghur-Canadian citizen who has remained imprisoned in China since 2006, after being detained during a visit to Uzbekistan and subsequently transferred to Chinese custody. His case has long been a flashpoint in Canada-China human rights discussions and remains unresolved nearly two decades on.

What Comes Next

The convergence of the Montreal Institute's report, parliamentary advocacy, and civil society pressure ahead of the Anand–Wang Yi talks signals that foreign interference and human rights will be difficult to sideline in any bilateral reset. Whether the meeting produces verifiable commitments — or remains at the level of diplomatic language — will be closely scrutinised by researchers, opposition politicians, and diaspora communities alike.