IN-DEPTH: China’s Many Spies in Canada

Federal Crown prosecutor Marc Cigana, who is working on the case of a former RCMP officer charged with aiding China, speaks with the media at the courthouse in Longueuil, Que., on July 25, 2023. The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi

For China watchers, the arrest of a retired RCMP officer for allegedly helping China with its interference efforts in Canada is not surprising, given Beijing’s extensive network of spies and agents in Canada and its ambitions for global domination.

Scott McGregor, a former Canadian Armed Forces intelligence operator and intelligence adviser to the RCMP, says Canada is particularly infested with a proportionally higher number of CCP agents compared to other countries.