Cooper says Canada is “at war with China” in hybrid conflict

Investigative journalist Sam Cooper says Canada has been engaged in a hybrid conflict with China for more than a decade, describing a combination of election interference, crime and cyber warfare that falls short of conventional military conflict.

“In my view, we are at war with China and we have been for over 10 years,” Cooper said in an interview released Oct. 1 on The Really Big Show with hosts Jim Csek and Iain Burns.

Cooper, founder of The Bureau and author of Wilful Blindness, said the threat requires a clearer public response from Canadian authorities.

“It’s hybrid warfare. It stops short of kinetic,” he said.

Public warnings and intelligence

Cooper contrasted Canada’s approach with Britain’s MI5, which issued a Sept. 30 espionage alert concerning the China General Technology Research Institute. MI5 said the institute funds research that improves the Chinese Ministry of State Security’s espionage capabilities and that more than 100 UK-linked academics had contributed to projects it funded.

“Canada hasn’t put out a public alert,” Cooper said. He also expressed his belief that political leadership had prevented CSIS from issuing alerts of the kind he wanted to see.

That broad claim needs context: CSIS’s 2025 public report says the agency released security alerts about Chinese intelligence tradecraft, including an espionage alert concerning an individual targeting Canada’s academic research community. Cooper’s claim about political interference in alerts was not substantiated with documents in the interview.

Questions about political accountability

Cooper also referred to former Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart’s allegation that Premier David Eby was aware of a national-security investigation involving an unnamed B.C. cabinet minister.

Stewart made his allegation publicly in May. Eby denied having been briefed by the RCMP or CSIS about concerns involving a government caucus or cabinet member. The interview did not establish that the alleged investigation exists or that a minister committed wrongdoing.

On Prime Minister Mark Carney, Cooper criticized rhetoric about a possible U.S. military threat to Canada, saying it “could be destructive to the truly important military relationship in North America.”

Asked about patriotism and political leadership, Cooper stopped short of saying Carney was not a Canadian patriot. “I wouldn’t go that far,” he said, before describing him as someone he would call a “captured elite” who “has questions to answer to Canadians.” That was Cooper’s characterization, not an established finding.

Defence, media and online regulation

Cooper cited former senior National Defence official Raquel Garbers while discussing the consequences of criticizing anti-U.S. rhetoric. Her lawyers say she is suing the federal government, alleging she was dismissed after writing publicly about how such rhetoric could benefit China and Russia. Those allegations have not been tested in court.

The conversation also turned to government support for media outlets and access to political leaders. Cooper argued that funding relationships deserve scrutiny and called for more follow-up questions from journalists.

Burns raised concerns about online regulation and its potential effect on investigative reporting. “I have real and legitimate and concrete concerns,” Cooper said.

The interview did not include responses from the Prime Minister’s Office, CSIS or the other people and organizations criticized. Cooper’s assessments and allegations are attributed to him throughout.

Watch the full interview above for the complete conversation.