Beijing Attempted to Buy Canadian Locations For ‘Spying Operations’: CSIS

CSIS director says Beijing has tried to purchase locations near sensitive, strategic assets in Canada for the purpose of intelligence gathering.

David Vigneault, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), prepares to appear before the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC), studying the intimidation campaign against Members of Parliament, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on June 13, 2023. Justin Tang/The Canadian Press

The head of Canada’s spy agency says previous attempts by the Chinese regime to purchase locations in the country for collecting intelligence have been blocked by the government.

“We have seen in the past, acquisition of land, acquisition of different companies ... when you start to dig a little bit further, you realize that ... there is another intent,” said Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Director David Vigneault in an interview with U.S. network CBS.