By Canadian Press

No security threat from RCMP’s dealings with China-linked firm, minister tells MPs

Jan 30, 2023 | 2:33 PM

OTTAWA — Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says there is no reason to believe Canada’s national security was under threat at any time due to the RCMP’s dealings with an Ontario company that has links to China.

Mendicino tried to reassure members of a House of Commons committee looking at the RCMP’s standing offer with Sinclair Technologies for radio-frequency filtering equipment.

The standing offer was suspended and a stop-work order for undelivered goods was issued last month after a Radio-Canada report about the arrangement.

Sinclair’s parent company, Norsat International, has been owned by Chinese telecommunications firm Hytera since 2017, and the Chinese government owns a 10-per-cent stake in Hytera through an investment fund.

The United States Federal Communications Commission banned the use of Hytera technology for the purpose of public safety, government security and surveillance of critical infrastructure in 2021 when it was deemed a risk to national security.

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Mendicino says the equipment being used by the RCMP does not have the technical capability to access Mountie radio communications.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2023.

The Canadian Press