Exclusive: Chinese Embassy Directed $4.7 Million in Donations to Canadian Politicians Through Front Companies

OTTAWA – An ongoing investigation by CanadaPress has uncovered evidence that the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa funnelled approximately $4.7 million in donations to Canadian federal politicians through a network of shell companies and third-party proxies between 2018 and 2024. The donations targeted MPs serving on committees overseeing national security, trade policy, and critical infrastructure. The scheme involved 14 shell businesses registered in British Columbia and Ontario that made political donations to 23 MPs across three party lines. Many of the companies had no employees, no websites, and no business operations. Their only activity was writing cheques to political campaigns. We have identified a pattern that is deeply concerning, said a former CSIS analyst who reviewed the findings. When you see a company that was incorporated three months ago, has no revenue, and is making maximum donations to a sitting MP on the national security committee, the alarm bells should be deafening. One MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were unaware the donations came from Chinese-linked entities. You just see a name and an address, and if it looks legitimate, you accept it, they said. The system is not designed to catch this. The government has not commented on whether it will investigate the donations. The RCMP said it is monitoring the situation closely — the same language it used when asked about the 2019 election interference that resulted in zero charges.

This story involves public funds. See our Hall of Shame for more on the worst abuses of taxpayer money since 2015.