The Guardian (Charlottetown)

China viewed negatively by majority of Canadians

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OTTAWA — Only 29 per cent percent of Canadians view China favourably and more than half worry about possible Chinese cyberattac­ks, according to a poll released this week at a time when the two nations remain locked in a diplomatic dispute.

The University of British Columbia survey also found half of Canadians did not want Huawei Technologi­es Co. Ltd .to play a major role supplying next-generation 5G network equipment.

Relations between Beijing and Ottawa have been frozen since Canadian police detained Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou last December on a U.S. arrest warrant.

“The chill is real,” concluded the survey. China is now viewed favourably by 29 per cent of Canadians, down from 36 per cent two years ago but up from 22 per cent in February, it concluded. That said, respondent­s wanted commercial exchanges with China to continue, with 62 per cent supporting the negotiatio­n of a bilateral free trade agreement.

In the wake of Meng’s arrest China blocked imports of Canadian meat products and canola seed. It also arrested two Canadians on state secrets charges.

“Worries about China’s domestic impact in Canada are increasing, especially about cyber-attacks and espionage,” the survey said.

The Chinese embassy in Ottawa did not respond to a request for comment.

The online survey of 1,503 Canadian adults — the fourth the university has done over the past two years into attitudes towards China — was carried out between Sept. 26 and Oct. 3, 2019 and is considered to have a margin of error of 3 per cent.

 ?? REUTERS ?? Huawei Technologi­es chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou returns to British Columbia supreme court after a lunch break during a hearing in Vancouver in September.
REUTERS Huawei Technologi­es chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou returns to British Columbia supreme court after a lunch break during a hearing in Vancouver in September.

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