Canadians SHOCKINGLY Want MORE Trade With China?! The Poll Results Are In!

Well, this is interesting. A new Ipsos poll suggests that a slim majority of Canadians – 54 per cent to be exact – are actually in favor of closer trade ties and economic agreements with China. That's a pretty significant turnaround, especially when you consider where things were just a few years ago.

Canadians SHOCKINGLY Want MORE Trade With China?! ...

Remember 2020? Back then, eight in ten Canadians were all about reducing our reliance on China. Tensions were sky-high, fueled by allegations of foreign interference and the whole agonizing saga of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, the "two Michaels." It felt like Canada-China relations were at an all-time low. So, what gives?

Darrell Bricker, the CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs, has a pretty insightful take. He doesn't think it's some sudden surge of affection for China. Instead, he suggests that Canadians are simply getting real about the economic landscape, especially in light of the trade war with the U.S. It's a pragmatic shift, driven by concerns about our own economic well-being. Makes sense, right?

This poll drops just as Prime Minister Mark Carney is gearing up for a five-day trip to Beijing, his first official visit as PM. It's also the first time a Canadian Prime Minister has been to China since 2017. He's scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping, building on their earlier chat at the APEC forum last year. It feels like a real effort to mend some fences.

Let's not forget how deep those fences were buried. The imprisonment of Kovrig and Spavor back in 2018 was a major blow. It was widely seen as retaliation for Canada's arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou – a tense, complicated situation to say the least. While their release in 2021 helped, the trade relationship has still been struggling.

We've seen tariffs slapped on Chinese electric vehicles and steel, mirroring moves by the U.S. And China retaliated with tariffs on Canadian canola, peas, pork, and seafood. It’s a messy situation and a complex path to navigate forward.

Since taking office, Carney seems to be pushing for a "reset" with China. The current approach seems to be evolving from outright isolation to a "strategic relationship," trying to balance cooperation with competition. It’s going to be a delicate balancing act, no doubt about that.

Experts are urging Carney to keep Canadian interests front and center during this trip. Protecting our businesses and preventing the exploitation of advanced technologies is paramount. Meredith McCuaig-Johnston from the Center for Strategic and International Studies and even Michael Kovrig himself are cautioning against making concessions, like lifting EV tariffs, just to get some tariff relief from China. Kovrig warned that such a move could cripple Canada’s automobile industry. It's a high-stakes game, and the outcome will have a significant impact on Canada's economic future.