Foreign Influence Transparency Commissioner Anton Boegman prepares to appear before the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC) on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Oct. 6, 2026. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang
A news outlet focused on Canadian foreign policy has registered with the Office of the Foreign Influence Commissioner after accepting sponsored videos from a Chinese state-media organization.
The Canada Files, which describes itself as a “platform for critical investigation and analysis,” has become the first news outlet to formally register under Canada’s Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act (FITAA) for publishing China-backed content. The registration was first covered by Blacklock’s Reporter.
“The Canada Files published two pieces of sponsored content produced by CGTN Français,” a federal notice said.
CGTN Français is a French-language platform for global news and entertainment, managed by China Global Television Network—a state-operated media group functioning under the umbrella of China Media Group and China Central Television.
The notice described the purpose of the state-sponsored videos as “communicating or disseminating information,”while noting that content was not used to communicate with public office holders.
The first item, published on Aug. 11, was a video explainer titled, “Prospérité partagée, dignité garantie : la vision chinoise des droits de l'homme,” according to the notice. The title translates roughly as “Shared prosperity, guaranteed dignity: the Chinese vision of human rights.”
The second was a documentary published Aug. 13 titled “Papa, ce train va à Lasa!,” which translates to “Dad, this train is going to Lhasa!” Lhasa is the capital of Tibet and was historically a major cultural and spiritual centre of Tibetan Buddhism before Chinese forces occupied the region in the 1950s.
The notice said the objective of the videos is to “have more Canadians be supportive of China’s management of its domestic political affairs after watching the content CGTN Français originally produced.”
The content was published on social media sites like X, Telegram, Facebook, and YouTube as well as in The Canada Files’ Newsletter on Substack.
The filing indicates The Canada Files received an “honorarium” for publishing the state-backed content, but the amount the Ontario-based publication received was not listed.
Founded in 2019, The Canada Files has released several articles and opinion pieces that offer sharp criticism of Israel’s policies and actions. One 2024 commentary criticized then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for supporting Israel, and referred to Israeli leadership as “the monsters in Tel Aviv.” Another post by the same writer described Canadian supporters of Israel as “a leading fascist force in Canada.”
The publication is run by editor Aidan Jonah, who describes the publication as a “socialist, anti-imperialist news outlet” as well as “an independent news outlet covering Canadian foreign policy with a strong focus on Canada-China relations.”
Registration List
The Canada Files registration is one of three listings on the federal government’s registry of foreign influence activities as of Oct. 14. The registry officially launched on Aug. 4, 2026, and its first public listings appeared in September.
The registry publicly documents arrangements involving activities intended to influence Canadian political or governmental processes on behalf of foreign principals. Established under the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act, the registry is intended to promote transparency and deter covert foreign interference.
Foreign Influence Commissioner Anton Boegman told a Parliamentary committee earlier this month that while the registry has had few registration so far, he expects an increase in the coming months.
Boegman said his mandate covers any individuals or organizations seeking to influence Canadian politics on behalf of a foreign government or governmental entity. They must register with his office within 14 days of entering into an arrangement involving covered foreign influence activities. Those with arrangements that predated Aug. 4 had until Oct. 3 to register.
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