CSIS director says China’s concerted effort to steal Canadian technology is ‘mind-boggling’
Canadian Security Intelligence Service Director David Vigneault prepares to appear before the Special Committee on the Canada–People’s Republic of China Relationship, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on April 29.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Canada’s top spy says China’s concerted efforts to steal cutting-edge Canadian technology is mind-boggling, and is designed to build the People’s Liberation Army as a formidable force against Western interests.
David Vigneault, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, told MPs on the Canada-China committee Monday that Chinese hacking and other espionage activities have become a serious threat since Xi Jinping became president in 2012.
Canada and other wealthy Western countries have been targeted by People’s Republic of China actors to obtain high-end technology, he said.
“The statistics is mind-boggling in terms of the amount of attempts against government institutions every day. But more and more we see that those entities