In a decisive stand against media-driven xenophobia and geopolitical misinformation, Alex Tyrrell, leader of the Green Party of Québec, has filed a formal complaint with the CBC Ombudsman over a recent broadcast The National. Tyrrell accuses the CBC of distorting facts about Taiwan’s legal status, mischaracterizing Canada’s foreign policy, and promoting racialized suspicion toward a Buddhist organization based in Prince Edward Island.
The CBC segment, credited to Brigitte Bureau aired earlier this week and focused on Bliss and Wisdom, a Buddhist group with large monasteries in PEI. The organization is currently under a provincial investigation for potentially exceeding the land ownership limits set out in the PEI Lands Protection Act — legislation designed to prevent land speculation and preserve access to farmland by capping the amount of land non-residents or organizations can legally own.
But instead of centering the story on land-use regulation, the CBC report made sweeping claims about alleged links between the monasteries and the Chinese Communist Party, citing former Canadian RCMP investigators and a dissident monk. The report suggested the group may be acting as a “Trojan horse” for Chinese foreign influence and framed the issue as a matter of national security — a leap that Tyrrell says is both unsubstantiated and dangerous.
Misrepresenting Taiwan, Ignoring Canadian Foreign Policy
One of the most serious concerns in Tyrrell’s complaint is the CBC’s direct disinformation on Taiwan’s international status. In the broadcast, the journalist referred to Bliss and Wisdom as:
“a group born in Taiwan, a small country that China is threatening to invade.”
Tyrrell sharply rebukes this phrasing, noting that Canada does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation. Under the One China Policy, which Canada adopted in 1970, the Government of Canada recognizes the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and maintains only informal, non-diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Furthermore, the United Nations does not recognize Taiwan’s independence. In 1971, the UN passed Resolution 2758, formally recognizing the PRC as the only legitimate representative of China to the UN and effectively expelling Taiwan. As of today, only 13 countries maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Stoking Fear, Stereotypes, and Suspicion
Tyrrell’s complaint also challenges the broader framing of the piece, which relied heavily on unnamed intelligence sources and former officials to make sweeping unsubstantiated allegations that the monasteries are engaged in covert influence operations to “infiltrate the western world”.
“The organization has been used as a Trojan horse to infiltrate the Western world and Canada in part.”
“The Buddhist Association of China… reports directly to the United Front – China’s main tool of interference.”
While the CBC briefly included a denial from the group who said the information — “does not support the evidence that we are under the influence and the control” — the majority of the report was devoted to ominous speculation, without providing neutral academic analysis or verifying the claims through independent reporting. The religious minority group was given only that one single sentence to respond to this wide range of unsubstantiated allegations.
Tyrrell argues that the CBC’s approach vilifies an Asian religious group based on cultural and geopolitical associations, feeding into the kind of sinophobic narratives that have led to real-world discrimination against Chinese Canadian communities.
“This isn’t just poor journalism — it’s state-aligned disinformation wrapped in the language of public safety,” said Tyrrell. “It mirrors the logic of racial profiling and creates a climate of suspicion toward Asian religious and cultural groups.”
Land Disputes Aren’t Espionage
Tyrrell also points to the absurdity of transforming a provincial land use question into a national security crisis. The investigation into Bliss and Wisdom’s land holdings in PEI is rooted in the Lands Protection Act, which limits land ownership to 1,000 acres for individuals and 3,000 acres for corporations — a law designed to protect local agriculture, not to root out foreign influence or demonize religious minority groups.
“The province is free to examine whether land-use laws are being followed,” said Tyrrell. “What’s not appropriate is the CBC turning that into a televised conspiracy theory about Chinese monks plotting infiltration.”
Defending Peace, Diplomacy, and Pluralism
Tyrrell has long advocated for peaceful relations with China, criticizing Canadian media and political elites for adopting hostile, U.S.-aligned positions that push Canada toward confrontation rather than diplomacy. Earlier this year he traveled to China as part of a delegation sponsored by the Chinese embassy in Ottawa as part of a Canada-China friendship initiative.
“We must push back against strategic disinformation and the anti-China narrative in Canadian politics and media” said Tyrrell. “We need diplomacy, not militarism — and cultural understanding, not racialized suspicion. I will not remain silent while our public broadcaster contributes to the climate of fear, propagates racist conspiracy theories and vilifies religious and cultural minorities in this country.”
The complaint has been formally submitted to the CBC Ombuds person Maxime Bertrand and is expected to be reviewed by Brodie Fenlon, General Manager and Editor In Chief of CBC News. If CBC News does not issue a correction or satisfactory response, Tyrrell has pledged to pursue a full public review through the Ombuds person.
