Fighting the Five Poisons in Canada

China likely has hundreds of agents operating in Canada according to outspoken former Chinese diplomat to Australia, Chen Yonglin. Agents not only try to steal nuclear, government or high-tech secrets but also concentrate on developing vast networks of informants within the expat Chinese community to fight domestic dissent in China. The sources of dissent are sometimes known as the “Five Poisons,” and include:

• pro-democracy groups
• pro-Taiwan groups
• activists for Uyghurs
• activists for Tibetans
• Falun Gong

With large expat communities in many countries around the world, Chinese intel has an advantage. But does this mean we should start rounding up Chinese immigrants and sending them to farms in the prairies like what the Canadian government did to the Japanese in World War II? Absolutely not. The Chinese communities of immigrant countries such as Canada and Australia have a long history. Our intel apparatus should be (and is) recruiting third-generation Chinese immigrants to disrupt and expose the activity of the government of China. The apparent weakness of large Chinese expat communities can be turned into a defensive strength if we can get the right people that can truly “swim like fish in the sea.”