Canada said on Monday that the most popular news account on Chinese social media platform WeChat was pushing false narratives about Prime Minister Mark Carney in a bid to influence the Canadian election campaign.
“The information operation targeting Mr Carney is deliberately amplifying narratives in a coordinated and inauthentic way on WeChat, to Chinese audiences, including communities living in Canada,” the government’s Privy Council Office said.
In a statement, Ottawa said the account had targeted Carney’s experience and credentials in a bid to manipulate Chinese voters. The effort would not affect the course of the April 28 election, it added.
The messaging is being spread by the Youli-Youmian account, Canada said, citing intelligence reporting that linked the outlet to China’s Communist Party.
The Chinese embassy in Ottawa was not immediately available for comment.
US tariffs against Canadian goods and the incumbent Liberal Party’s selection of Carney to replace unpopular former prime minister Justin Trudeau have thrown open the race that was previously led by the Conservatives.
