MUST READ: Records reveal Liberals approved military training with China in 2023

by Alex Dhaliwal

Then-defence minister Anita Anand approved Canadian military personnel training China’s PLA — and CAF officials confirmed training would occur despite public denials.

Former defence minister Anita Anand approved Canadian Armed Forces personnel providing specialized training and mentoring at multinational war games involving China’s People’s Liberation Army in 2023, newly disclosed government records show.

Internal military correspondence also reveals officials rejected a proposed media line claiming there was “no confirmation” Canadian troops would directly train PLA personnel because, as one officer put it, “that is not true.”

“We know we will be training and we have Minister of National Defence approval to do so,” read another internal message, according to Access to Information records obtained by Conservative MP Kelly McCauley and reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.

Anand, now Canada’s foreign affairs minister, was defence minister at the time.

Three Canadian Armed Forces personnel participated in Exercise Khaan Quest in Mongolia from June 19 to July 2, 2023.

A draft media response from June 16, 2023, said Anand had approved Canada’s participation in training involving visiting PLA members.

One Canadian Armed Forces member participated in a command-post exercise involving simulated forces, command staff and communications between headquarters.

Two other CAF personnel specializing in countering improvised explosive devices participated in field exercises, providing “training and mentoring to exercise participants.”

“Training and mentoring provided by the Canadian Armed Forces contributes to military-to-military relationships, improves interoperability and military readiness while increasing understanding,” the memo said.

Internal records show military officials also wrestled with how to publicly describe Canada’s involvement.

A proposed media response asked: “Is the Canadian Armed Forces training members of the People’s Liberation Army as part of the exercise?”

The draft answer stated: “There is no confirmation that Canadian Armed Forces will be directly training PLA personnel at this time.”

Military officials pushed back internally.

“That is not true,” one officer wrote. “We know we will be training.”

Another said the reference to there being “no confirmation” was removed because it was inaccurate.

“We know we will be training and we have Minister of National Defence approval to do so,” the officer wrote.

Anand did not publicly comment on the PLA training at the time, according to Blacklock’s. She was moved from National Defence to Treasury Board roughly three weeks after Exercise Khaan Quest.

full story at https://www.junonews.com/p/liberals-approved-china-military-training

 

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