A majority agrees with the way Canadian authorities have acted in the Meng Wanzhou case.
Vancouver, BC [February 12, 2019] – Many Canadians are concerned about the possible involvement of Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei in the development of the country’s 5G (or “Fifth Generation”) mobile networks, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 57% of Canadians think the federal government should not allow Huawei to participate in 5G.
On a regional basis, British Columbia has the highest level of rejection for Huawei’s involvement in 5G (73%), followed by Ontario (62%) and Alberta (57%).
The federal government is currently reviewing the guidelines for the development of 5G mobile networks, which are expected to provide Canadians with larger data capacity and faster connections.
In December, Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver. Meng faces charges in the United States—including bank fraud and obstruction of justice—and the U.S. has formally requested her extradition.
Across Canada, 43% of respondents say they have been following media stories related to Meng’s arrest “very closely” or “moderately closely.”
More than three-in-five Canadians (63%) say they agree with the way Canadian authorities have acted in this case, while 25% disagree and 12% are undecided.
Support for Canada’s actions is highest among women (67%), residents aged 55 and over (73%) and Liberal Party voters in the 2015 federal election (76%).
“Most Canadians approve of the decisions that the federal government has taken on this file,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Most are also wary of enabling Huawei to play a role in Canada’s future telecommunications networks.”
More than half of Canadians (57%) think Canada should not work to establish closer ties with China—a proportion that includes majorities of those who voted for the Conservative Party (62%) and the New Democratic Party (NDP) (55%) in the last federal ballot.
Methodology:
Results are based on an online study conducted from February 2 to February 5, 2019, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our full data set here and download the press release here.
Photo Credit: Raysonho
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490
[e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca