Most Canadians see China as ‘threat’ or ‘enemy’: survey

Few Canadians are willing to question Beijing when it comes to bilateral relations with Ottawa. new request conducted by the Angus Reid Institute.

According to the poll, 40 percent said the federal government should approach the Chinese government as a threat to its interests, while 22 percent said they believe Beijing is “the enemy.” In contrast, 12 percent of Canadians surveyed viewed China favorably.

Canadians’ worldview may be affected by recent developments in Canada-China relations, with accusations that the Chinese government interfered in the last two Canadian elections.

Canadians also expressed negative opinions about Russia. The data shows that 72 per cent of Canadians believe Russia should be seen as a threat or enemy after invading Ukraine.

When it comes to the United States, a fifth of Canadians (58 per cent) say they have a positive impression of the country, the second time since 2016 that the country’s favorability has been so high.

Two-fifths (39 per cent) have a more negative view of the US, while a majority of Canadians (73 per cent) believe the US should be viewed at least as a friend (25 per cent) if not a valuable ally. 48 percent).

The poll also found that three-fifths of former conservative voters have a very unfavorable view of China. The share is 47 percent for former Liberal voters, 37 percent for NDP voters and 36 percent for Bloc Québécois voters.

However, most Canadians (62 per cent) said they view Taiwan positively as the territory continues to be a source of political tension for China.

METHODOLOGY

The Angus Reid Institute conducted the survey online between February 23 and 25, among a random sample of 1,622 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The margin of error is +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Reporting for this story was paid for through the Meta-funded Afghanistan Reporters in Residence program.