OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau spoke Monday about the internment of Japanese and Italian Canadians during World War II to urge caution in imposing a “foreign agent registry,” as did Australia and the United States to combat foreign interference.

The prime minister made the remarks as US authorities filed criminal charges against dozens of suspected Chinese government agents believed to be active in the country.

At a news conference in the Ottawa suburb of Kanata on Monday, Trudeau acknowledged that following reports of alleged Chinese interference in Canada’s recent election, the federal government needed to find better ways to protect Canadians.

But the prime minister says the government needs to strike the right balance so the new measures aren’t too broad and don’t target specific diasporas, such as Chinese Canadians, or other communities whose government is at odds with Ottawa.

“Canada has had difficult historical experiences that we must learn from when it comes to creating registries for foreign agents or aliens in Canada,” the prime minister said.

“One has only to think of the internment of Japanese citizens or Canadians of Japanese or Italian descent during the last two world wars to know that we have to be very, very careful.”

Some 22,000 Japanese Canadians were stripped of their property, driven from their homes, and sent to internment camps after the attack on Pearl Harbor in early 1942, although the vast majority of them were Canadian citizens.

About 600 Italian Canadians suffered similar treatment and another 31,000 were declared “enemy aliens” after Italy joined Nazi Germany in World War II. The federal government has since apologized to both communities.

The issue of foreign interference was the subject of recent debate when news outlets, citing unnamed security sources and classified documents, claimed China had attempted to intervene in the last two federal elections, as well as the most recent local election in Vancouver.

Trudeau said Monday that Chinese-Canadians themselves are often the “first targets” of Beijing’s meddling efforts and that any measures Canada takes must ensure vulnerable diaspora communities are not unduly affected. He added that other groups, such as Iranian-Canadians, have been similarly targeted.

“That’s why we take the time to properly consult the Alien Agents Register and make sure we’re using it properly,” he explained.

consultations until May

Public Safety Secretary Marco Mendicino announced last month that the Liberal government was beginning consultations to create a “foreign influence transparency register” as part of its response to allegations of Chinese interference in the recent Canadian election.

Such a register would require individuals acting on behalf of a foreign state to further its goals to disclose their affiliations with the government that employs them. It would be another tool, Mr Mendicino said, to prevent other countries from interfering in Canada’s affairs.

The idea of ​​such a register, which exists in Australia and the United States, is intended to make these actions more transparent, with the possibility of fines or even imprisonment for violators.

Consultations will take place until May 9, notably through a virtual portal on the Ministry of Public Security website.

In an interview with The Canadian Press last week, Minister Mendicino said he had met with a “strong cross-section” of members of the Sino-Canadian community who have insisted on the need for a directory of agents acting on behalf of foreign governments in Canada.

Mr. Trudeau has not indicated whether such a register could be set up before the next federal election. The date of that election depends in part on the support and confidence agreement the minority Liberal government has reached with the federal New Democrats.

In the USA

Canada isn’t the only country grappling with allegations of Chinese meddling. Prosecutors in New York on Monday struck a blow at what they called “brutal and unlawful” efforts by Chinese government agents to harass and threaten dissidents and to stifle freedom of expression locally.

In three criminal complaints just released, Justice Department officials indicted 46 defendants, two of whom resided in the United States and operated a secret police station in lower Manhattan.

Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx, and Chen Jinping, 59, of Manhattan, were scheduled to appear in court later Monday. They are charged with conspiracy to act as agents of the government of the People’s Republic of China and obstruction of justice – allegedly for destroying evidence of communications with officials from China’s Ministry of Public Security.

On at least one occasion, the police station spearheaded efforts to locate a Chinese-born pro-democracy activist living in California, New York Eastern District Attorney Breon Peace said.

Comparable Chinese police operations have been identified in dozens of countries around the world, including Canada. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating two community groups in Montreal and Brossard believed to be “outposts” of China’s Ministry of Public Security.

These groups have denied the allegations, pledged to work with the police and insisted they oppose any form of bullying and harassment.

The other two US cases focus on alleged attempts by Chinese agents living abroad to harass Chinese nationals in the United States whose political views and actions Beijing does not like.