The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) has been using a Chinese communications technology for years that has been banned by the United States on national security grounds.
The CBSA has been using technology developed by the Chinese company Hytera Communications for around five and a half years, tech banned by the United Stations over spying fears earlier this year.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, a member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, has stated that he will launch a review of the technology after it was brought to his attention by Canadian broadcaster CBC, which reported on the issue on Tuesday.
“I have instructed my department to do a portfolio-wide scan and review of any other potential similar contracts which may have been awarded, so that we can take whatever steps are necessary to mitigate any against any risks that may exist,” Minister Medicine said this week, adding, “That will apply right across all departments, including the CBSA.”
The review comes after the United States banned the import and sale of products belonging to several other Chinese communication firms over national security fears including, Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision and Dahua.
U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Jessica Rosenworcel released a statement in November on the matter saying, “The FCC is committed to protecting our national security by ensuring that untrustworthy communications equipment is not authorised for use within our borders.”
“These new rules are an important part of our ongoing actions to protect the American people from national security threats involving telecommunications,” she said.
The Canadian company Canquest supplied the Hytera products to the CBSA, which consisted of digital mobile radios and radio communications infrastructure in the Niagara region, along the border with the state of New York.
While three of the four points of entry in Niagara no longer use Hytera products, the Peace Bridge, remains using the products until they are scheduled to change in March of next year.
The CBC report comes after several other recent reports in Canada regarding alleged Chinese interference within Canada’s borders.
Reports of Chinese police stations operating in Canada were reported in October by the human rights group Safeguard Defenders, which claimed similar police stations operated in a variety of other western countries, including the USA and the UK.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) stated they took the allegations seriously, Chinese officials claimed the offices were used to renew Chinese government documents, such as identification and driver’s licenses, while Safeguard Defenders claimed the stations were used to pressure Chinese nationals to return home to face criminal prosecution.
Just weeks later another report claimed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had directly tried to influence the 2019 Canadian federal election and had funnelled money to at least eleven candidates, with Canadian media claiming that Prime Minister Trudeau had been briefed on the matter by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).
Trudeau, however, dismissed the media claims, saying that CSIS had not presented him with a report on Chinese election interference. “Let me be clear, I do not have any information, nor have I been briefed on any federal candidates receiving any money from China,” Trudeau said.
Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com.
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