Canadians wary of China while supporting continuing contact: New Poll
Researchers at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and Department of Political Science at the University of British Columbia today released the results from their October 2019 National Opinion survey on Canadian Public Attitudes on China and Canada-China Relations. It is the fourth survey in two years that has probed views on a wide range of perceptions, beliefs and policy preferences.
The survey was conducted amidst a major diplomatic rift between the two countries, concern and anger about two Canadians arbitrarily detained in China, intense media attention and negative commentary, and increasing anxieties about Chinese domestic and international behaviour on topics including Xinjiang and Hong Kong.
The key finding is that public attitudes are surprisingly stable and generally supportive of continued contact at multiple levels with China despite significant worries and uncertainties about China and a lack of trust in the United States.
Highlights:
- The chill is real. China is now viewed favourably by 29% of Canadians, down from 36% two years ago but up from 22% in February.
- In seven dimensions of international leadership, China is now seen ahead of the US in only one – the expectation that it will be the largest economy within a decade. Two years ago, it was perceived to be ahead in four.
- Worries are increasing about China’s domestic impact in Canada, especially cyber security and espionage, as well as China’s expanding military capabilities.
- Distrust of China is not translating into more trust for the United States. Confidence in Donald Trump is below that of Xi Jinping and a significant majority believe Canada cannot trust the US to do the right thing in the world. By a margin of more than two to one, Canadians disagree with the proposition that Canada should support US policy even if it means worsening relations with China. Fully two thirds foresee a Sino-US trade war having major consequences for Canada.
- The desire for continued economic exchange with China remains strong. In six of seven areas Canadians see expanded economic interaction with China as contributing to economic prosperity. 62% still support negotiation of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement.
- A slight plurality support the proposition that it was a mistake to arrest Ms. Meng in the first place and also think she should be released before court proceedings conclude. Three quarters believe that Canada has been trapped in the middle of a US-China dispute.
- Half do not want Huawei playing a major role in Canada’s 5G system even as 43% support its continuing investment in research and development in Canada.
Download the following report documents below:
Summary, Findings and Commentary
Comparison with Previous Surveys
Contact:
Professor Paul Evans, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, UBC, paul.evans@ubc.ca
Professor Xiaojun Li, Department of Political Science, UBC, xiaojun.li@ubc.ca
The Meng Factor in Canadian Views on China
As the judicial extradition hearing for Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou proceeds in Vancouver, Canada-China relations remain at their most turbulent point since Tiananmen Square in June 1989.
It is widely recognized that this is much more than an isolated bilateral diplomatic dispute. It pulls Ottawa into the vortex of a deepening geo-political and technological tug-of-war between the US and China.
For Further Information, Contact:
Paul Evans - paul.evans@ubc.ca
Xiaojun Li - xiaojun.li@ubc.ca
New Survey Finds Quebec Respondents Positive and Pragmatic about Relations with China
Paul Evans, Xiaojun Li, and Pascale Massot
As Ottawa awaits the outcome of the NAFTA negotiations and amidst deepening tensions in US-China relations, a new survey shows that Quebecers have views of China and the prospect of deeper relations even more positive than in the rest of Canada.
Conducted by Qualtrics on behalf of a research team based at the Institute of Asian Research, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia and the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa, the survey conducted in March 2018 used identical questions posed to a national sample in September 2017. Respondents had the option of responding in either official language, 296 choosing English and 225 French.
View Summary
View French Summary
View Full Quebec Results
View English Language Respondents
View French Language Respondents
Les Affaires Opinion Editorial
Workshop on Canada-China Relations and Peacekeeping Cooperation: An Interview with Professor Brian Job
China’s emerging role as a major player in UN Peacekeeping operations and Canada’s past experience and new plans for “smart contributions” to peace support operations provided the backdrop to a lively workshop in Beijing January 25th-26th, 2018. As part of an ongoing project on “Emerging Issues in Canada-China Relations” that has been organizing joint research and meetings since 2009, the January workshop was co-hosted by the Institute of Asian Research of UBC’s School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and the China Institute of International Studies, a think tank under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Framed as an avenue of the deepening connections between Canada and China, the key participants were academics, researchers, diplomats and recently retired and serving senior military officers, all in their private capacities.
Following the workshop, the Canadian delegation was hosted for further discussion at the China National Peacekeeping Centre located just north of Beijing.
Professor Brian Job, the Canadian co-organizer, states “This was a novel initiative, exploring the possibilities for collaboration in policy discussion and training on UN peacekeeping, which are substantial and of value to Ottawa and Beijing and to the UN itself. The meeting underscored the complexity of current peace support operations and the value of sharing best practices and lessons learned in past peace operations—key to advancing success in today’s difficult UN missions.”
Southeast Asia in an Evolving Global Landscape: Prospects for an Integrated Region and Implications for Canada.
Canada has signalled its intention to comprehensively re-engage the Asia-Pacific region and reclaim its own position as a Pacific nation. Southeast Asia is a vital part of this strategy. As Canada and ASEAN celebrate 40 years of dialogue partnership, which coincides with the golden jubilee of the grouping itself, there is growing momentum to bring the relationship to the next level.
Against this backdrop, Global Affairs Canada held a conference entitled Southeast Asia in an Evolving Global Landscape: Prospects for an Integrated Region and Implications for Canada in Ottawa on May 30, 2017, marking an important next step in this direction. This high-profile event brought together a total of 200 participants, including ambassadors and diplomats from ASEAN member states, leading Canadian and international scholars on Southeast Asia, and representatives from Global Affairs and the broader government community. Punctuated by remarks from The Honourable Chrystia Freeland (Minister of Foreign Affairs), H.E. Le Luong Minh (Secretary-General of ASEAN), and Canada’s 16th Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Joe Clark, discussions during this day-long event covered major issues in Canada-ASEAN relations, from geopolitics to security challenges and economic opportunities. From these stimulating exchanges emerged a set of innovative, yet realistic recommendations on how Canada could better assert its added-value in this strategic region, where a number of major players already vie for attention.
An edited volume from the conference will be launched during the Canadian Council for Southeast Asian Studies’ Conference on October 26-28, 2017. The volume brings together contributions from the panelists, giving them the opportunity to render and further develop their assessments and recommendations. In the process, they lend important support to Canada’s endeavour to develop a sound and effective foreign policy towards Southeast Asia, one that builds on its previous, well-remembered contributions to regional peace and prosperity, but goes beyond earlier engagements. In the process, the volume also identifies what its partners could gain from Canada “being back” in the regional sphere.
Edited by Stéphanie Martel and Nhu Truong. With contributions from Kai Ostwald, Brian Harding, Christopher Goscha, Mairead Lavery, Deborah Helms, Elina Noor, Lindsey W. Ford, Sidney Jones, Jonathan Berkshire Miller, and Paul Evans.
Canadian Public Attitudes on China & Canada-China Relations
At a time of global turbulence and at the mid-way point of a Liberal government facing significant decisions about the direction and pace of developing bilateral relations with China, there are signs of growing public support for deeper economic relations and partnerships coupled with significant anxiety about greater Chinese military activities and its expanding presence inside Canada.
Public Release: October 17, 2017
For Further Information, Contact:
Paul Evans - paul.evans@ubc.ca
Xiaojun Li - xiaojun.li@ubc.ca
Empower, Include, and Inspire: G20 Public Leadership to Advance Responsibility, Resilience and Sustainability for a Fair Global Economy
A Vision Brief for the German G20 Presidency in 2017
Views from Vision 20 2017: V20 Workshop on “Opportunities and Risks of Globalization”
Public Release: April 30, 2017
The Vision 20 Working Group - 2017:
Contact: yves.tiberghien@ubc.ca
- Alan Alexandroff, Director, Global Summitry Project, Munk School of Global Affairs, U. of Toronto
- Bertrand Badré, CEO, Blue Orange Capital
- Amar Bhattacharya, Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institution
- Colin Bradford, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Inst.
- Roger Burkhardt, Former Chief Technology Officer, New York Stock Exchange
- Andrew F. Cooper, Professor, Balsillie School of International Affairs and Department of Political Science, University of Waterloo
- Homi Kharas, Senior Fellow, Deputy Director, Global Economy &Development, Brookings Inst.
- José Siaba Serrate, Member, Argentine Council on Foreign Relations
- Brent Sutton, Former Senior Partner, RBC Global Asset Management
- Yves Tiberghien, V20 Coordinator, Director, Institute of Asian Research, the University of British Columbia
Give the World Hope: G20 Leadership for People-Centered Inclusive and Sustainable Growth
A Blue Report for the G20 Presidency 2016
Public Release: July 21, 2016
Download:
Co-Editors:
Yves Tiberghien
Director, Institute of Asian Research, The University of British Columbia
yves.tiberghien@ubc.ca
Yu Jianxing
Professor and Dean, School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University
yujianxing@zju.edu.cn
Guo Sujian
Professor, School of Public Affairs; Director, Environmental and Energy Policy Center, Zhejiang University
sguo@zju.edu.cn
With special thanks to our sponsors, Rockcheck Group and Instuary Innovation Group, who made this work possible.
Emerging Issues in Canada-China Relations
Cooperative Security 2.0: II (comments on concept paper)
December 2014 | Shanghai, China
Cooperative Security 2.0: I
November 2013 | Shanghai, China
Canada-China Dialogue on Emerging Issues in Bilateral Relations Round II: New Dimensions of Cooperation
September 3 - 5, 2012 | Hangzhou, China
Past and Future in Canada-China Relations
November 10 - 12, 2010 | Shanghai, China
2011 UBC China Census
Read the results of the 2011 China Census survey conducted by the Institute of Asian Research for the Office of the Vice-President Research International. The 2011 UBC China Census survey also incorporates results from the 2010 survey.
View the map detailing the research projects and collaborations in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Key highlights:
- 218 individuals responded to the 2010 and 2011 survey on their connections with China
- Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai were the top 3 cities with the most connections established with UBC faculty
- Certain departments were identified as “hotspots” in China. The faculties of Forestry, Applied Science, and Medicine were identified as having particularly strong connections to China
2010 Asia Census
The UBC Asia Census survey led by the Institute of Asian Research was released on February 17, 2011. Among its key findings are:
- The principal interests of faculty are China (157), India (75), Japan (62), SEA (52), Korea (27), Mongolia (4)
- Among doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows, the most responses came from the following 5 faculties: Arts, Sciences, Medicine, Engineering, and Interdisciplinary Studies
- A large number of PhD students and Postdoctoral Fellows stated a strong desire to connect with fellow students and faculty who share similar interests
- The specific geographical location of partners and activities of a sample of faculty members is presented in a Google map
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