Salt Typhoon, a Chinese government-linked hacking group, is “almost certainly” responsible for “malicious cyber activities” currently targeting Canadian telecommunications companies, according to a bulletin posted by the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security last Friday.
The hack, thought to be launched in February 2025, is part of a broader effort by Beijing to burrow into global telecoms networks, which can be treasure troves for foreign intelligence. Canada, of course, is not the only target: Chinese officials acknowledged in a December 2024 meeting with their American counterparts that Beijing was behind a series of cyberattacks on U.S infrastructure, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security said in its 2025-26 threat assessment that China’s “expansive and aggressive cyber program presents the most sophisticated and active state cyber threat to Canada today.”
Canada-China Relationship Remains Tense
The reported breach by China likely won’t derail recent diplomatic efforts by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to “recalibrate” relations with China, but it is a reminder of the wide range of foreign-interference threats posed by Beijing.
Last week, for example, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service stated in its annual report that China “poses the greatest counter-intelligence threat to Canada,” adding that Chinese intelligence services have “targeted all levels of government, Canadian citizens, and Chinese communities to advance the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China’s] national interests.”
The bilateral relationship took on more water last week, after Canadian Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland criticized B.C. Ferries for tapping a Chinese state-owned shipyard for new passenger vessels. Writing to her provincial counterpart, Freeland said: "I am dismayed that B.C. Ferries would select a Chinese state-owned shipyard to build new ferries in the current geopolitical context.”
A spokesperson for B.C. Ferries told CBC that the bid by Weihai Shipyards “was the strongest... by a significant margin.”
