Allegations that China attempted to intimidate a member of parliament and his family have prompted Canadian police to launch an investigation.
The investigation is one of many the federal agency is conducting to look into foreign election meddling, according to the RCMP commissioner on Tuesday.
China has refuted allegations that it tried to intimidate Conservative MP Michael Chong because of his criticism of China's capital.
Canada expelled a Chinese diplomat last month due to the accusations.
China responded by expelling a Canadian diplomat stationed in Shanghai on the grounds that Canada had engaged in "slander and defamation.".
The spy agency in Canada believes that China sought information about Mr. Chong and his family members in Hong Kong in an effort to thwart "anti-China positions.".
It happened after the politician introduced a resolution in the legislature in 2021 that referred to China's treatment of its Uighur minority as genocide. China refuted the allegations and promptly imposed sanctions on Mr. Chong.
The RCMP was only made aware of the allegation involving Mr. Chong through Canadian media, interim commissioner Michael Duheme of the RCMP told an Ottawa parliamentary committee on Tuesday looking into foreign interference.
In recent months, a number of media reports have been published accusing China of attempting to meddle in the Canadian elections, many of which were based on leaked intelligence briefings and information.
Mr. Duheme informed federal lawmakers that "when we were made aware of it, we approached Mr. Chong and began the investigation.".
According to him, the investigation is one of more than 100 ongoing RCMP inquiries into foreign meddling in Canadian affairs.
The RCMP is also assisting investigators looking into claims that China tampered with the previous two federal elections.
Erin O'Toole, a former leader of the Conservative party, claimed in a House of Commons speech last month that he had been the target of a Chinese government campaign of voter suppression and disinformation.
Asserting that Beijing had violated the human rights of Muslim Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region, Jenny Kwan, a lawmaker for the left-leaning New Democratic Party, claimed she had been singled out by China.
China has repeatedly refuted claims that it tried to meddle in Canadian politics, calling the claims defamatory.
Relations between Ottawa and Beijing have significantly deteriorated as a result of the expulsions and claims that China interfered in the Canadian election.
