Canadians Hostility Towards Beijing Melts Away
Polling shows hostility toward China plunging as a strong majority say the Prime Minister’s trip was the right move
Newly released polling from Angus Reid suggests a rapid turn of face among Canadians towards China after more than a year of American sabre-rattling south of the border.
In March 2023, 62% of Canadians said they believe the Canadian government should approach China as an enemy or a potential threat, while 26% said the approach should be cautious, and another 9% said Canada should approach China as a valued partner and ally, or on friendly terms.
The latest poll has seen a dramatic shift. The share of Canadians who say we should treat China as an enemy or threat has plunged thirty-nine points to 23%, while the share saying we should approach China cautiously has jumped twenty-five points to 51%. Those saying we should approach China on friendly, or even allied terms, also jumped thirteen points to 22%, putting them on par with those who say we should be hostile.
Those under the age of 34 are the most likely to say Canada should approach China on friendly or allied terms, at 32%, compared to 21% of those between 35 and 54, and 16% of those over 55.
NDP, Liberal, and Bloc voters all share similar response rates, ranging between 28% and 31%, among those who say we should take a friendly approach toward China, compared to 12% of Conservatives.
Speaking of which, Conservatives remain the strongest supporters of treating China as an enemy or a threat, at 47% of all Conservative respondents, compared to 10% of New Democrats, 8% of Bloc voters, and 5% of Liberals.
With half of Canadians saying we should approach China cautiously, it will come as no surprise that Carney’s visit to China, alongside our collective perception of China and what we should seek from the relationship, has also evolved alongside these questions.
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For years now, Canadians have broadly supported putting human rights and the rule of law ahead of business when it comes to dealing with China. That has seen a reversal in the latest polling.
Today, 59% of Canadians say that the most important thing to Canada when dealing with China should be trade and investment opportunities, a dramatic rise from November 2021 when that number was only 23%.
On the other hand, 41% of Canadians still believe that human rights and the rule of law should come before business, but that is down from a staggering 77% back in November 2021.
It’s unsurprising that Canadians have rapidly warmed to the idea of business investments from China, given the situation with the Americans, and the jump from November 2021 to September 2025 illustrates that clearly.
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So was the visit to China the right move by Carney? Canadians believe so.
Among all respondents, 65% say that it was the right move for Carney to visit China, compared to 22% who say that it was the wrong move.
The highest share saying it was the right move came from Liberal voters, with 87% believing it was the right move, alongside 76% of New Democrats and 71% of Bloc voters. Even 37% of Conservatives believe it was the right move by the Liberal Prime Minister to visit China.
Conversely, Conservatives were the only group to show significant opposition to the visit, with 48% saying it was the wrong move by Carney, compared to 7% of New Democrats, 4% of Bloc voters, and 3% of Liberals.
It should come as no surprise then that 65% of Canadians believe the Canada-China trade arrangement that Carney struck was a good deal for Canada, compared to 22% who say it was a bad deal.
Once again, Conservatives were the only ones more likely to say it was a bad deal, at 49%, while 89% of Liberals say it was a good deal, alongside 77% of New Democrats and 74% of Bloc supporters.
Overall, it seems that the Canadian public is broadly supportive of Carney’s move to rectify prior hostilities towards China, namely the 100% electric vehicle tariff that Canada imposed on Chinese vehicles at the behest of the American government.
With the Americans threatening not only our economy, but the economies of all their allies, it is not surprising that Canadians are supportive of looking elsewhere. Our economy is built upon extraction, and there is no market more in need of raw resources than China.
There is a reason the Americans are rattled by Canada seeking closer trade ties with China. The question is whether they will put the stick away and bring the carrot out, or if they will keep threatening us for the next few years. Regardless, Canadians are tired of economic warfare from the Americans and are clearly looking elsewhere for new trade partners.