Canadians warm up to U.S., concerned about China: Angus Reid poll
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Canadians are tending to see China in a negative light while warming up to the United States, a new Angus Reid Institute poll finds.
The pollster found 40% wanted their federal government to approach the Beijing regime as a threat to its interests and 22% as an enemy.
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“As Canadians appraisal of China remains at near record low – 12% say they view the country favorably — positivity towards the United States has rebounded,” Angus Reid says in a statement released Friday. “Three-in-five (58%) Canadians have a positive impression of the U.S., only the second time since 2016 that country’s favorability has been that high.”
Almost half of Canadians polled believe the U.S. should be viewed as an ally, and almost three-quarters see the country as a friend.
Canadians generally held favorable impressions of the U.S., Mexico, Taiwan and India, but not so China and Russia.
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“As recently as 2017, half (48%) of Canadians held favorable views of China,” the pollster’s statement says. “China’s detention of Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in December 2018 preceded a period of steep decline in Canadian positivity towards China. Though that matter resolved with the two Michaels’ release after more than 1,000 days in Chinese prison, recent events have apparently done little to elevate Canadian opinion.”
The statement mentions a test of Canadian airspace and allegations of election interference by Beijing as influencing people’s opinions.
People who voted Conservative were most likely to see China as a threat but a majority of voters across the political spectrum expressed concerns.
The pollster notes the war with Ukraine as a reason for Canadians tending to view Russia negatively.
The Angus Reid Institute surveyed online 1,622 Canadian adult members of their forum between Feb. 23-25, and a comparable survey would carry a margin of error of 2%, 19 times out of 20.
The poll can be found at angusreid.org,
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