A new poll suggests Canadians' perceptions of China and Huwaei have become more negative since the arrest of the tech giant's CFO in Vancouver late last year.
Research Co. conducted an online survey of 1,000 Canadian adults that found that two-thirds of respondents thought the federal government should not allow Huwaei to take part in the development of Canada's 5G networks.
“In February, 57 per cent of Canadians felt that Huawei should be barred from Canada’s 5G development,” Research Co. president and CEO Mario Canseco said in a statement.
“That proportion has increased by 11 points and now includes 81 per cent of British Columbians and 74 per cent of Ontarians.”
Similarly, 67 per cent of Canadians who took part in the study said their country should not work to establish closer ties with China.
The results come about seven months after Meng Wanzhou, a top Huwaei executive, was arrested in Vancouver at the request of the United States, which has formally requested her extradition.
Chinese officials have since arrested Canadians Michael Korvig and Micahel Spavor, accusing them of violating national security.
According to the poll, seven-in-10 Canadians agree with Canada's handling of the situation so far. That's a nine-percentage-point increase from when Research Co. asked the same question in a February study.
Agreement with Ottawa's actions on the Huawei file was highest among women (76 per cent), those aged 55 and over (82 per cent) and those who voted for the Liberals in the 2015 federal election (86 per cent).
Research Co. poll was conducted online between July 6 and 9. The data carries a margin of error of 3.1 per cent.
