Canada’s opinion of China worsens as Huawei, detention rows drag into second year
- Nine out of 10 polled said they believe China cannot be trusted to uphold human rights and refrain from interfering politically in judicial matters
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Canadians have soured on China, according to a poll released Wednesday, as a diplomatic crisis over tit-for-tat detentions of a Chinese tech executive and two Canadians drags into a second year.
Two-thirds of 1,499 respondents surveyed in recent weeks by Angus Reid said they had an unfavourable view of Canada’s second-largest trading partner, up from 51 per cent in 2018.
Nine out of 10 said they believe China cannot be trusted to uphold human rights and refrain from interfering politically in judicial matters.
“While the Trudeau government considers its options to resolve simmering tensions, Canadians are growing more frustrated with China,” Angus Reid said a statement.
Originally detained on a US warrant, Meng is out on bail awaiting an extradition hearing due to start in January. The US wants to put her on trial for allegedly lying to banks about violating Iran sanctions.
Kovrig and Spavor are languishing in China’s opaque penal system, accused of gathering state secrets. Their case was handed to prosecutors this week for review.
Obtaining the pair’s release has been a top priority of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, which is also concerned about a significant drop-off in bilateral trade.
Parliament to scrutinise Canada-China relations in defeat for Trudeau
But Canadian lawmakers think it is not enough and, in a rebuke late Tuesday, voted against his minority government to set up a committee to examine relations with Beijing.
The committee – to be composed of 12 MPs – will sit from January and will have the power to call Trudeau and the Canadian ambassador to China as witnesses.
Canadians, according to the Angus Reid poll, are conflicted about Meng’s arrest after seeing the strain it has put on the relationship with China.
Half of respondents told Angus Reid it was the correct decision while the other half believe Canada should have resisted the US request to arrest Meng.
According to the poll, seven in 10 Canadians believe Ottawa should not allow Huawei to sell equipment to domestic telecoms companies for their next-generation networks.
