OTTAWA — The Chinese community in Canada has long been caught in the crosshairs of political discourse, disinformation and propaganda originating from the Communist Party in Beijing, a media industry veteran told a public inquiry Tuesday.

If Beijing seeks to influence or interfere in Canada’s democratic processes, one of its most effective tools is the Chinese-language media, said Hong Kong-born Victor Ho, who came to Canada in 1997 and worked in newspaper and radio journalism over the years.