China analysts Michael Kovrig and Patricia Xavier say three Chinese state-linked financial institutions attending a major investment summit in Toronto are likely seeking to increase Beijing’s “political influence” in Canada.
Kovrig, a scholar and former Canadian diplomat who was arbitrarily detained in China, and Xavier, a Chinese politics researcher, said that the Chinese firms are likely seeking minority stakes in key Canadian infrastructure and energy projects in order to boost Chinese political leverage in Canada.
“Money is a diplomatic tool,” the authors write in a Sept. 14 analysis, adding that “strategically, investment does double duty as a lock on the political thaw with Ottawa plus a wedge to complicate relations with Washington.”…