In September, Mustel Group asked 600 B.C. residents how they felt the federal government should deal with escalating political and economic tensions between Canada and China. Three-quarters of respondents felt that some form of action is needed, with little difference of opinion between the general population and business owners.
“The sentiment reflected in the survey is likely the result of the amount of press this situation has received, starting with the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in December 2018,” explains Mustel general manager Josh O’Neill. “Since then, China has taken significant retaliatory actions, including bans on key Canadian exports. Even though British Columbia has strong ties to the Chinese economy, it doesn’t come as a surprise to me that many B.C. residents feel that our government should take at least some measures to ensure that Canadian business interests are protected.”