Justin Trudeau invited China's People's Liberation Army to train troops in Canada, according to top secret documents published by Canadian conservative news site which claims 'they were sending spies not just soldiers to train'
- The bombshell 34-page access to information document was released by the Canadian government to Rebel News and The Globe and Mail
- The two outlets published excerpts from the files Wednesday
- The memos revealed that members of the PLA were scheduled to attend a military exercise at a base in Ontario in 2019
- Training was canceled by Canada's Chief of Defense Staff Jonathan Vance in January 2019
- But Trudeau was displeased about the cancelation, because he thought it would look like retaliation over China's detention of two Canadian nationals
- China arrested Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in December 2018
- Days earlier Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzou
- Spavor and Kovrig remain behind bars in Beijing
- Ezra Levant, founder of conservative news site Rebel News, told Fox's Tucker Carlson Thursday the PLA was sending spies not just soldiers to the training
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'Top secret' government documents have revealed that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invited China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) to send its troops to Ontario for cold weather training and was unhappy when it was canceled, according to two Canadian media outlets.
The Canadian government's bombshell secret 34-page file was obtained by Rebel News and The Globe and Mail.
The two outlets published excerpts from the files Wednesday, revealing that members of the PLA were scheduled to attend a military exercise at a base in Ontario in 2019.
According to the memos, the training was then canceled by Chief of Defense Staff Jonathan Vance due to concerns that China could use the trip to obtain information from Canada.
But Trudeau was displeased about the cancelation, because he thought it would look like retaliation over China's detention of two Canadian nationals, and insisted Chinese officials be let down gently, the memos show.
Ezra Levant, founder of conservative news site Rebel News, claimed Thursday the PLA was sending spies not just soldiers to Canada through the partnership.
The plans for the joint military exercise came as tensions were boiling between the two nations, months after Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzou and China hit back arresting Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig.
The release of the files comes on the two-year anniversary of Spavor and Kovrig's arrests as the two remain behind bars in Beijing.
'Top secret' government documents have revealed that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invited China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) to send its troops to Ontario for cold weather training and was unhappy when it was canceled, according to two Canadian media outlets
The bombshell 34-page access to information document was released by the Canadian government to Rebel News and The Globe and Mail, presumably by mistake
Levant told Tucker Carlson Thursday night that the cold weather training at Ontario is just one example of an expansive partnership between Canada and the PLA.
The two nations were engaged in 18 different joint projects in 2019, he said, including troops being sent between the countries and Canada providing training to high-ranking Chinese generals.
'It is a shock to Canadians,' Levant said. 'That cold-weather warfare you are referring to is just one of 18 different joint projects the Canadian armed forces had with the People's Liberation Army in 2019 alone.
'Canada is training one and two start Chinese generals in our war colleges, training lieutenants and majors, commanders.
Levant said he believes China has been sending spies to Canada through the various projects.
'We're sending Canadians over to China, we're bringing Chinese - I think they are not just soldiers I think they're spies, as well - to Canada, and I don't know a single person in this country knew about it,' he said.
Levant said it was likely either a mistake by the Canadian government to release the documents or the work of a whistleblower wanting to expose the relationship.
'But it's been happening, and we found out about it really by accident when the government sent me freedom of information documents and forgot to black them out, or frankly someone inside the government wanted to blow the whistle on this incredibly upside down relationship,' he said.
The two outlets published excerpts from the files Wednesday, revealing that members of the PLA were scheduled to attend a military exercise at a base in Ontario in 2019. Members of China's People's Liberation Army pictured
While Trudeau was trying to keep on side with China, he was also bashing Donald Trump, Levant said of the memos.
'In those same memos you're talking about, Trudeau's office was supporting China and condemning the Trump administration,' he said.
'It was upside down, inverted morality - it's seeping all the way into our bureaucracy, our diplomacy and they are trying to get the military on side, too.'
The memos also reveal that America warned Canada about the risks of engaging in the training with China but the concerns were ignored, said Levant.
He raised concerns that the training could be used to gather intelligence on Canada and learn its military techniques in order to use them against the country down the line.
'In these memos, you can see the Trump administration warned Canada that this winter warfare training would transfer knowledge to China that could be used,' he said.
'Now, they don't explain, would it be used to take on Uighurs in chin Jang, Tibetans to fight India in the Himalayas , or even to fight us?
'And when the military, the Canadian military, said our American allies, or our allies are concerned about this, Trudeau staff pushed back and said, is this just the Trump administration, or is anyone else worried about it?'
Levant said the documents show 'an antipathy toward America' from Trudeau while he wants to 'let China's President XI Jinping save face'.
Ezra Levant, founder of conservative news site Rebel News, claimed Thursday on Fox the PLA was sending spies not just soldiers to the training camp
According to the memos, the training was canceled by Chief of Defense Staff Jonathan Vance due to concerns that China could use the trip to obtain information from Canada. But Trudeau was displeased about the cancelation
The smoking gun files released this week reveal that General Vance decided to cancel the winter military exercises with the PLA in January 2019.
The move came after China arrested Spavor and Kovrig in December 2018.
But, the files show that Canada's global affairs department including a top aide to Trudeau pushed back against the decision, concerned that China would see it as payback over the arrests.
'Should Canada make any significant reductions in its military engagement with China, China will likely read this as a retaliatory move related to the Meng Wanzhou case,' the February 2019 memo read, according to Rebel News.
The memo was sent to then deputy minister of foreign affairs Ian Shugart, now Canada's top bureaucrat, outlining the case for a letter for him to send on to the deputy defense minister.
The plans for the joint military exercise came as tensions were boiling between the two nations after China arrested Michael Spavor (left) and Michael Kovrig (right). The release of the files comes on the two-year anniversary of Spavor and Kovrig's arrests as the two remain behind bars in Beijing
Their arrests came days after Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzou (above)
'Canada does not want to be the partner that is reducing normal bilateral interactions,' the letter read.
'Given the heightened scrutiny, any decision by Canada to reduce/cut ties should be carefully considered to avoid sending any unhelpful or unintended messages.'
Former Canadian diplomat Kovrig and businessman Spavor were arrested by China on December 10 2018.
This came just days after Canada detained Wanzhou, the daughter of the founder of Huawei.
Chinese prosecutors announced earlier this year that Kovrig had been charged with spying for state secrets and intelligence and Spavor for spying for a foreign entity and illegally providing state secrets.
No further details have been released about their cases.
Two years on, the two Canadians are still behind bars with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying Thursday they had been 'arrested, indicted and tried'.
However Canada's Global Affairs Department later said the men had not gone on trial.
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