Most Canadians view China as a significant threat to the country's interests, according to new federal polling released just months after Prime Minister Mark Carney's government signalled a desire for closer economic and diplomatic ties with Beijing.Blacklock's Reporter says the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) survey found 66% of respondents consider China a major threat to Canada, second only to Russia at 70%. By comparison, only 34% identified Iran as a significant threat.The findings come as the federal government pursues what Carney has described as a "new partnership" with China, despite ongoing concerns over foreign interference and national security.According to the report, titled Attitudes To The Canadian Security Intelligence Service, more than half of Canadians believe the country has become less safe in recent years.“Half of respondents, 52%, feel Canada is more dangerous than it was five years ago,” the report stated. Researchers noted Canadians are now more likely to view the country as becoming more dangerous than they were in either 2018 or 2021.Respondents were asked to assess a list of countries based on the degree of threat they pose to Canadian interests. Russia topped the list at 70%, followed by China at 66%.Other countries viewed as threats included Iran at 34%, India at 33% and Pakistan at 21%.The survey also found widespread concern over foreign interference in Canadian institutions.Sixty-one percent of respondents said they were very concerned about foreign interference in elections, while 58% expressed the same concern regarding interference in government. Nearly half, 48%, said they were very concerned about foreign influence on social media platforms.“Results reveal high levels of concern,” researchers wrote..The nationwide survey of 2,051 Canadians was conducted by Ekos Research Associates at a cost of $77,695 and completed on March 31.The report was finalized only weeks after Carney publicly promoted deeper engagement with China.On Jan. 7, Carney said Canada was building a “dense web of new connections” to attract foreign capital and strengthen economic ties.Days later, speaking to the Canada-China Business Council in Beijing, he praised China's economic strengths and called for greater cooperation.“We need to learn from, partner with and access and build supply chains with China,” Carney said.The comments stood in contrast to remarks he made during the 2025 federal election campaign, when he identified China as Canada's greatest security threat.“I think the biggest threat to Canada is China,” Carney said during a televised leaders' debate, a statement he did not repeat after taking office.Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has also advocated increased engagement with Beijing as part of what she described as a new foreign policy approach.“We will be examining for cooperation, for collaboration, to heighten our people-to-people ties,” Anand said on Jan. 14.She argued that Canada must broaden its international relationships amid growing economic uncertainty.“This is a new government with a new Prime Minister, a new foreign policy and a new geopolitical environment,” Anand told reporters. “In this moment of economic stress for our country, it is necessary for us to diversify our trading partners.”
