Monitoring Desk
OTTAWA: A large number of Canadians want Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau to respond more forcefully to alleged Chinese election interference, as relations between the two countries deteriorate once more, as per a poll released on Wednesday.
Polling firm Angus Reid Institute said that over 53 percent of respondents said they felt that the response of Canada following a string of recent events, including the arbitrary detention of 2 Canadians by Beijing and reports of media of election meddling, was “not strong enough”. Another 41 percent thought the federal government’s response was “about right,” while 6 percent thought it was “too strong,” according to the online poll.
Trudeau’s acknowledgment of Chinese interference
Trudeau has acknowledged that the Chinese attempted to meddle in the elections, but he has stated that the results of the 2019 and 2021 elections were not affected. So far, he has resisted calls for a broad public investigation because of the allegations.
The poll, which has an edge of error of 2%, comes amid ongoing tensions between China and Canada over the election and other security risks. Canada banned the use of the social media app owned by China, TikTok on government-issued devices earlier this week, citing privacy and security concerns. Last month, a suspicious Chinese spy balloon flew over the United States (US) and Canada before being shot down.
Recent media reports have alleged ongoing Chinese meddling in Canadian elections, with Trudeau denying a report that his office was told by a spy agency in Canada to drop a Chinese-Canadian candidate in 2019 due to his ties to Beijing. The embassy of China in Ottawa responded to the recent report in an email on Wednesday, calling the allegations “baseless and defamatory.” The embassy stated that we are not interested in interfering in Canada’s internal affairs and have never attempted to do so.
However, the majority of Canadians disagree with the embassy’s statement. According to the survey, 65 percent believe the Chinese government “definitely” or “probably” attempted to interfere in the 2021 election. While 69 percent believe the government of Canada is too afraid to stand up to China,” respondents were split on the potential economic consequences of stronger action, with 46 percent concerned about potential financial implications and another 46 percent dismissing such concerns, according to the Institute.
