Canadians increasingly have a negative opinion of China and think the federal government should take a tougher stance on the Communist county.
New polling by Nanos Research conducted shortly after the release of Micheal Kovrig and Michael Spavor by Chinese authorities reveals that a majority don’t want to increase business ties with the nation.
According to the poll results, 69% of Canadians think Canada should avoid reaching a trade deal with China in the near future.
In comparison, two years prior only 47% of Canadians opposed the idea of a trade deal.
The survey included over 1,000 Canadians who were polled between September 30, 2021 and October 3, 2021. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.1% or 19 times out of 20.
Additionally, 87% of Canadians want the federal government to increase ties with its traditional allies like the US, the UK and Australia “to contain China’s growing power.” Only 9% opposed the idea of a partnership.
Following the release of the two Michaels, 43% of Canadians think that the country should be “unfriendly” to the Chinese government, while 42% stated that Canada should remain neutral with respect to China. Only 12% preferred that the two countries became friendly.
“If the relationship between Canada and China was damaged in 2019 – now it’s severely damaged,” said pollster Nik Nanos.
“When (Canadians) think of China. They see it as a problem.”
With regard to the question of whether Canada should partner with the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei Technologies to develop its 5G infrastructure, most Canadians were opposed to the idea.
In total, 75% of Canadians said that the Canadian government should ban the company from operating on its 5G networks.
As reported by True North, Conservative MP Garnett Genuis said that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government was “missing in action” when it came to confronting Chinese aggression.
“The Liberal government has been promising a new framework for relations with China for years,” said Genuis in an emailed statement.
“It is clear that the Liberal government is missing in action when it comes to responding to the domestic and international challenges posed by the Chinese Communist Party.”
