Go Ad Free

Canada’s Chinese-language media have fallen under the thumb of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), warns Victor Ho, a former editor of the prominent Sing Tao Daily. 

Ronald Leung, a Sing Tao columnist, tells the Foreign Interference Commission about how the CCP installs "gatekeepers" in CCP-linked newsrooms in Canada to ensure everyone toes the party line. pic.twitter.com/jR1fItjghv

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 2, 2024

Ronald Leung, a Sing Tao columnist tells the Foreign Interference Commission:

“In China, we know people are not allowed to dissent, you must all repeat the same narrative from the government. It is like that in the Chinese community. Most people will tow the ‘official China… pic.twitter.com/7vrTVm9h2X

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 2, 2024

Ho testified before the Commission on Foreign Interference, exposing how the CCP controls ethnic media not through direct censorship, but by pulling the financial strings behind the scenes.

Victor Ho, who worked as Vancouver editor of Sing Tao Daily for 13 years, tells the Foreign Interference Commssion about the pressure he faced to publish pro-CCP narratives from his boss who "was a CCP proxy." pic.twitter.com/uj8o5wb5EO

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 2, 2024

“The CCP doesn’t control content—they control the boss,” Ho bluntly stated. Struggling publishers, operating on tight budgets, are coerced into doing the bidding of Beijing. 

When asked if Chinese language journalists have to self-censor in Canada to avoid repercussions:

“I exercise care ...I am very careful every time I talk on the radio. I know their red line, where they draw it. If I cross those red lines I don’t think I can continue to do my… pic.twitter.com/002M8dX3EF

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 2, 2024

Ho described how local advertisers are pressured by the Chinese Consul General to support compliant outlets—or face devastating financial losses. “Otherwise, you will lose a lot of money,” Ho said, echoing the reality for many ethnic media outlets across the country.

Chinese language journo Victor Ho tells the Foreign Interference Commission how ad dollars are leveraged to bully dissident media outlets:

“The Consul General will hint local advertisers should put more advertisements in your paper...otherwise you will lose a lot of money.” pic.twitter.com/19xXbAIa0z

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 2, 2024

Ronald Leung, a columnist and radio host, backed up these claims, painting a bleak picture of the Chinese-Canadian media landscape. “Most people will tow the official China line,” Leung testified, explaining how the CCP stifles dissent

Canadian Chinese language journalist Victor Ho, who worked as Vancouver editor of Sing Tao Daily for 13 years, tells the Foreign Interference Commission about the bounty placed on him by the PRC. pic.twitter.com/3l0MHCeBDT

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 2, 2024

According to him, even Chinese-Canadian politicians remain silent when it comes to China-Canada relations, despite being in the best position to speak out.

"When an issue comes up in the House of Commons related to the Canada-China relations or conflicts between these two countries, why are our MPs from those ethnic background kept silent? That is something we ask them.” pic.twitter.com/APLZOzS5sA

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 2, 2024

Chinese-Canadians are left voiceless, as media outlets and public figures buckle under the weight of CCP influence.