Trudeau Tells Inquiry ‘Very Improbable’ Beijing Would Have Preference for Election Outcome
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pushed back on intelligence information suggesting that the Chinese regime favoured the Liberal Party in a previous election.
“While individual officials may well have expressed a preference or another, ... it would just seem very improbable that the Chinese government itself would have a preference in the election,” Mr. Trudeau said as he testified before the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference on April 10.
The prime minister said the 2019 and 2021 elections took place during “significant tensions” between Canada and China, as Ottawa was mobilizing allies to put pressure on Beijing to release Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.
Mr. Trudeau gave his testimony after being provided with an intelligence summary created by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).