John Price is professor emeritus (History) at the University of Victoria and the author of Orienting Canada: Race, Empire and the Transpacific; A Woman in Between: Searching for Dr. Victoria Chung (with Ningping Yu) and co-editor of (Un)Settling the Islands: Race, Indigeneity and the Transpacific (with Christine O’Bonsawin), a special volume of the journal BC Studies (No. 204, Winter 2019/20).五眼聯盟和加拿大的“中國恐慌”: 對太平洋外交、研究與和平的威脅？
作者：約翰·普萊斯 2024 年 1 月 17 日
這篇討論文件揭示了戰略與國際研究中心 (CSIS) 和五眼聯盟如何在 2018 年製造“中國威脅”，並隨著當年 12 月孟晚舟在 YVR 被捕而演變成一場風暴。 在COVID-19大流行期間受到反亞裔種族主義的煽動，然後又受到CSIS泄密和敵對媒體聳人聽聞的“外國幹涉”指控的煽動，中國威脅已轉變為加拿大的“中國恐慌”，影響深遠。 本文探討了這場恐慌形成的三個階段，以及仇華情緒和反共主義的有毒混合物如何意味著聯邦新民主黨、保守黨和魁人政團正在阻止危機的任何解決。 現在，隨著其他國家與中華人民共和國的關係趨於穩定，加拿大卻陷入了困境——一個外交上的異類，無法收拾好自己的內部秩序。 與此同時，戰略與國際研究中心正在加拿大大學安裝前所未有的研究監視係統，加拿大武裝部隊經常與中國軍隊在東亞發生小規模衝突。 局勢已變得危急，需要進行一些艱難的對話，以確定通往正義與和平的道路。
請在此處閱讀完整報告。
執行摘要
這份報告揭露了美國情報機構和加拿大安全情報局（CSIS）如何在2018年製造出誇大的“中國威脅”，並在未來五年內變異為加拿大的“中國恐慌”，影響深遠。
該報告首次詳細且全麵地描述了中國恐慌的產生和興起，剖析了最近的曆史，揭示了由唐納德·特朗普任命的中央情報局、聯邦調查局和其他美國情報機構的負責人是如何發起隔離牆的 《街頭日報》呼籲 2018 年初開展一場史無前例的運動，將中國和電信巨頭華為描繪成對由美國、加拿大、英國、澳大利亞和新西蘭組成的五眼聯盟的主要威脅。
戰略與國際研究中心 (CSIS) 主任戴維·維尼奧特 (David Vigneault) 參加了在英國倫敦和哈利法克斯舉行的五眼聯盟會議，他不加批判地接受了美國的指控，並於 2018 年春夏與賈斯汀·特魯多分享了這些指控。加拿大政府在充分了解美國的指控後，很樂意這樣做 接受美國引渡華為高管孟晚舟的請求。 隨後邁克爾·斯帕弗（Michael Spavor）和邁克爾·康明凱（Michael Kovrig）被捕引發的風暴使加中關係陷入危機，至今尚未恢複。
中國威脅在 2020 年開始的新冠肺炎 (COVID-19) 疫情期間因反亞裔種族主義而加劇，然後又因 CSIS 的不斷泄密和媒體對“外國幹涉”的指控而加劇，中國威脅已成為加拿大的“中國恐慌”，這是威脅膨脹的典型例子。 對外交、大學研究和國防政策產生深遠影響。 調查結果強調，有必要對加中關係進行冷靜的重新評估，特別是考慮到印度參與哈迪普·辛格·尼賈爾謀殺案的曝光、加拿大在亞洲的間諜活動的曝光，以及美國和澳大利亞最近為穩定局勢而采取的舉措 與中國的關係。
報告分為三個部分：
第一部分承認，對中國的批評本身並不是種族主義，中華人民共和國有很多問題可以被用來煽動分歧。 它追蹤了這些問題如何被放大和扭曲，導致加中關係陷入持續危機。 結果，加拿大成了外交上的“跛腳鴨”，無法擺脫“中國恐慌”，而美國和澳大利亞則積極尋求與中國和解，以穩定關係。 它強調了過去五年中國恐慌形成的各個階段，追蹤了三種不同敘事的相互作用——中國作為技術威脅； 中國是病毒威脅； 和中國作為幹擾者。 然後，它沿著書麵線索追溯到 2018 年，當時戰略與國際研究中心 (CSIS) 首次從特朗普政府引入了這一敘述。 報告指出，加拿大危機的嚴重程度與聯邦新民主黨對中國所采取的“冷戰”立場有關。 這導致新民主黨/保守黨/魁北克政團結成聯盟，將“中國威脅”言論製度化，並阻礙任何緩解危機的舉措。 最後，它闡述了仇華情緒和反共主義之間的複雜關係，這種關係被用來製造關於“好中國人”和“壞中國人”的分裂敘述。
第 2 部分重點介紹加拿大傑出研究型大學 (U15) 與 CSIS 之間的密切合作。 該報告探討了 David Vigneault 早在 2018 年就首次接觸 U15，中央情報局/聯邦調查局聲稱中國正在利用“人為間諜活動”竊取加拿大大學開發的研究機密。 報告指出失敗
U15 的一部分對 CSIS 的主張進行任何形式的科學審查，其結果是采用新的研究指南，導致大學中的種族定性。 該研究探討了美國和加拿大種族定性的動態和抵製。 政府現在正準備引入大幅擴大的研究限製，6| 五眼聯盟和加拿大的“中國恐慌”將標誌著加拿大曆史上前所未有的研究監控係統的崛起。 CSIS 主任 David Vigneault 聲稱，CSIS 與“加拿大最大的研究型大學的校長”的合作非常成功，以至於“現在他們問我們，你知道，我們如何才能合作？” 它概述了可能采取的行動，以抵消威脅國際研究合作和學術自由的新興監視係統。
第三部分重點介紹加拿大武裝部隊 (CAF) 最近部署在朝鮮半島和南中國海積極巡邏的情況。 其結果是與該地區的中華人民共和國軍隊經常發生小規模衝突。 該文件審視了 2018 年初溫哥華外交部長會議引發的這些部署的起源，追蹤了未來五年的升級情況以及太平洋原住民和中華人民共和國所產生的抵抗。 該報告探討了加拿大空軍的部署如何使美國軍方證明其對該地區的長期軍事統治是合理的，報告認為最近的加拿大空軍軍事部署構成了加拿大外交政策的一個重要轉變，而這種轉變是在沒有任何認真的公眾協商的情況下發生的。 這種與美軍在太平洋地區向前接觸的轉變是否標誌著加拿大尋求自主外交政策的結束？ 日益加劇的兩極分化將需要艱難的對話和關鍵的決定，以避免危及地球的戰爭災難和環境退化。
關於作者
約翰·普萊斯 (John Price) 是一位曆史學家，主要研究亞洲和太平洋地區以及亞裔加拿大人的曆史。 他是維多利亞大學名譽教授，著有《定位加拿大：種族、帝國和跨太平洋》一書，並與於寧平合著《介於兩者之間的女人：尋找鍾維多利亞博士》。 作為一名反種族主義教育家，他與種族社區進行了廣泛的合作，合著了《挑戰不列顛哥倫比亞省種族主義：150 年的曆史和計數》和《1923：挑戰過去和現在的種族主義》。 他為 The Tyee、《Victoria Times Colonist》、《Georgia Straight》、《Hill Times》、《Canadian Dimension》和 Rabble.ca 撰寫了大量文章。 他是加拿大-中國焦點的董事會成員以及加拿大大學教師協會（CAUT）國家安全參考小組的成員。
國家安全谘詢小組 (CAUT)：加拿大大學教師協會於 2023 年春季成立了該小組，因為政府對研究人員實施新的國家安全指導方針，導致人們越來越擔心種族定性和對學術自由的限製。 該谘詢小組由來自全國各地大學的代表組成，負責監督此類指導方針的影響，並就抵消種族定性和學術自由限製的影響的潛在措施向加拿大大學教師協會提供建議。 該小組成員通過不斷的努力和批判性分析，為本文提供具體材料，並對初稿提供反饋，為這份討論文件做出了貢獻。
報告最初發表於維多利亞大學亞太倡議中心。
The Five Eyes and Canada's "China Panic": A Threat to Diplomacy, Research and Peace in the Pacific?
BY JOHN PRICE Jan 17, 2024
This discussion paper reveals how CSIS and the Five Eyes manufactured a "China Threat" in 2018 that turned into a firestorm with the arrest of Meng Wanzhou at YVR that December. Fanned by anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic, then stoked by CSIS leaks and a hostile media sensationalizing accusations of 'foreign interference', the China threat has mutated to become Canada's "China Panic" with far reaching implications. This paper examines the three stages in the making of this panic, and how a toxic mixture of Sinophobia and anti-communism has meant that the federal NDP, Conservatives and Bloc Québécois are preventing any resolution of the crisis. Now, as other countries stabilize relations with the People's Republic of China, Canada is stuck – a diplomatic outlier unable to get its house in order. Meanwhile, CSIS is in the process of installing an unprecedented research surveillance system in Canadian universities, and Canadian Armed Forces are regularly skirmishing with PRC forces in East Asia. The situation has become critical, necessitating some difficult conversations to determine a path forward towards justice and peace.
Read the full report here.
Executive Summary
This report reveals how US intelligence agencies and CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) manufactured an inflated “China Threat” in 2018 that mutated over the next five years to become Canada’s “China Panic” with far reaching implications.
Providing the first detailed and fully referenced account of the creation and rise of the China Panic, the report dissects the recent past to reveal how the heads of the CIA, FBI, and other US intelligence agencies, appointed by Donald Trump, launched what the Wall Street Journal called an unprecedented campaign in early 2018 to portray China and the telecom giant Huawei as a major threat to the Five Eyes, composed of the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
Attending Five Eyes’ meetings in London (UK) and in Halifax was CSIS director David Vigneault who uncritically accepted the US accusations, rushing to share them with Justin Trudeau in the spring and summer of 2018. Fully informed of US accusations, the Canadian government willingly accepted the US request to extradite Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. The firestorm that erupted with the subsequent arrests of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig plunged Canada-China relations into a crisis from which they have yet to recover.
Exacerbated by anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020, then amplified by constant CSIS leaks and media accusations of ‘foreign interference’, the China threat has become Canada’s ‘China Panic’, a classic example of threat inflation with farreaching effects on diplomacy, university research, and defence policy. The findings highlight the need for a sober reassessment of Canada-China relations, particularly in light of revelations regarding the involvement of India in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, exposés of Canada’s own spy operations in Asia, and recent US and Australian initiatives to stabilize relations with China.
The report is presented in three parts:
Part 1 acknowledges that criticism of China in itself is not racist, and that the People’s Republic of China has plenty of problems that can be and are used to foment dissension. It tracks how such issues have been amplified and distorted leading to an unrelenting crisis in Canada-China relations. As a result, Canada has become a diplomatic lame duck, unable to extract itself from the ‘China Panic’ while the US and Australia actively seek a rapprochement with China in an effort to stabilize relations. Highlighting the stages in the making of the China Panic over the past five years, it tracks the interactions of three distinct narratives – China as a techno-threat; China as a viral threat; and China as interferer. It then follows the paper trail back to 2018, when CSIS first imported the narrative from the Trump administration. The report suggests the intensity of the crisis in Canada is related to the position staked out by the federal NDP as a ‘cold warrior’ regarding China. This has led to an NDP/Conservative/Bloc Québécois alliance that has institutionalized the ‘China threat’ discourse and stymied any initiative to mitigate the crisis. It concludes by illustrating the complicated relationship between Sinophobia and anti-communism that is used to create a divisive narrative about ‘good Chinese’ and ‘bad Chinese’.
Part 2 focuses on the close collaboration that has arisen between Canada’s preeminent research universities (U15) and CSIS. The report explores how David Vigneault first approached the U15 as far back as 2018 with CIA/FBI claims that China was using “human enabled espionage” to steal research secrets developed in Canadian universities. The report points to the failure on the part of the U15 to subject CSIS claims to any form of scientific scrutiny with the result being the adoption of new research guidelines that have led to racial profiling in universities. The study explores the dynamics of, and resistance to, racial profiling in both the US and Canada. The government is now preparing to introduce vastly expanded research restrictions that 6 | The Five Eyes and Canada’s “China Panic” will mark the rise of a research surveillance system unprecedented in Canadian history. CSIS director David Vigneault claims that CSIS efforts with the “principals of the largest Canadian research universities,” have been so successful that it has come “to the point now it is them asking us, you know, how can we work together?” It outlines possible actions that might counteract the emerging surveillance systems threatening international research collaboration and academic freedom.
Part 3 focuses on recent deployment of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to actively patrol around the Korean peninsula and in the South China Sea. The result has been regular skirmishes with PRC forces in the region. Examining the origins of these deployments arising from the Vancouver Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in early 2018, the paper tracks the escalation over the next five years and the resistance it engenders on the part of Indigenous peoples in the Pacific as well as from the PRC. Probing how CAF deployments enable the US military to justify its longstanding military domination of the area, the report suggests that recent CAF military deployments constitute an important shift in Canadian foreign policy that has taken place without any serious public consultation. Does this shift towards forward engagements with the US military in the Pacific signal the end to the search for an autonomous Canadian foreign policy? Increasing polarization will demand difficult conversations and critical decisions to avoid the calamities of war and environmental degradation that imperil the planet.
About the Author
John Price is a historian with a focus on Asia and the Pacific as well as Asian Canadian history. Emeritus professor at the University of Victoria, he is the author of Orienting Canada: Race, Empire and the Transpacific and, with Ningping Yu, A Woman in Between: Searching for Dr. Victoria Chung. As an anti-racist educator, he has worked extensively with racialized communities, co-authoring Challenging Racist British Columbia: 150 Years and Counting and 1923: Challenging Racisms Past and Present. He has written extensively for The Tyee, the Victoria Times Colonist, Georgia Straight, the Hill Times, Canadian Dimension, and Rabble.ca. He is a board member of Canada-China Focus and a member of the National Security Reference Group of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT).
The National Security Reference Group (CAUT): The Canadian Association of University Teachers established this group in the spring of 2023 in light of growing concerns about racial profiling and restrictions to academic freedom arising from new national security guidelines being imposed by the government on researchers. Composed of representatives from universities across the country, the reference group monitors the impact of such guidelines and advises the Canadian Association of University Teachers on potential measures to counteract the effects of racial profiling and restrictions on academic freedom. Members of the group contributed to this discussion paper through their ongoing efforts and critical analysis, in providing specifical materials for the paper, and in providing feedback to initial drafts.
Report originally published on University of Victoria's Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives.
