Followed, threatened and smeared — attacks by China against its critics in Canada are on the rise

Followed, threatened and smeared — attacks by China against its critics in Canada are on the rise

An investigation by CBC News, in conjunction with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, reveals a pattern of rising surveillance, threats and smear campaigns by China to silence dissidents living in Canada and around the world.

Followed, threatened and smeared attacks by China against its critics in Canada are on the rise #QuebecNews #CDNNews #CanadaNews #Canada

For Yao Zhang, the news came as a shock. Sexually explicit, deepfake images of her were circulating widely online — an attack that Ottawa blamed on the Chinese government.  It wasn’t the first time Zhang had been targeted by China. Shortly after the Quebec-based accountant-turned-influencer travelled to Taiwan in January 2024 to support its independence, China’s national police paid a visit to her aunt in Chifeng, in mainland China. Zhang was al…