Young Canadians are the most supportive of China’s Communist government and are the most concerned that reports of Chinese government interference could lead to anti-Asian racism, according to a new report.
The survey, conducted by the not-for-profit Digital Public Square and the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy’s China Governance Lab, also revealed that young Canadians are the least satisfied with Canadian democracy and are less confident in their ability to express controversial political views freely compared to other age groups.
1. The generation most supportive of the CCP
The survey asked respondents to rate various governments, including Canada, the United States, the European Union, and China, on a scale of 1 to 10 (“1” indicating least favourable and “10” indicating most favourable).
Canadians aged 18 to 29 rated the Chinese government an average of 4.0 out of 10. This is higher than ratings from other age groups, with those aged 30 to 44 giving it 3.4, those aged 45 to 59 giving it 3.0, and those aged 60 and older giving it 2.3.
Young Canadians rated the CCP government more favourably than Chinese Canadians did overall, who gave it a score of 3.9 out of 10. Canadians aged 18 to 29 also rated the U.S. government at 5.0 out of 10, only slightly higher than their rating for the CCP. They gave the Canadian government a 5.7.
University graduates were also more likely to express favourable views of the CCP government, giving it an average rating of 3.4, compared to 2.8 from college graduates and 2.9 from those with a high school education or less.
2. Concerns over foreign election interference, anti-Asian racism
Respondents were also asked about their views on reports of foreign interference in Canada and concerns about a rise in anti-Asian racism linked to those reports.
Among respondents aged 18 to 29, 39 percent expressed concern about foreign interference. This compared to 45 percent of those aged 30 to 44, 52 percent of those aged 45 to 59, and 60 percent of those aged 60 and older.
Meanwhile, 59 percent of respondents aged 18 to 29 said they are worried that reports of Chinese government interference could lead to increased anti-Asian racism. Additionally, 44 percent said they believed reports of interference are exaggerated because of “anti-China bias,” (compared to 23 percent of 60+ Canadians) while 37 percent said the Canadian government is trying to marginalize Chinese Canadians (compared to 20 percent of 60+ Canadians).
The survey also found that those who lean Right politically are more concerned about foreign interference than those who lean Left.
3. The least supportive generation for Canadian democracy
The survey also explored Canadians’ satisfaction with democracy and their perceived freedom to express themselves on controversial issues.
Only 50 percent of respondents aged 18 to 29 said they are satisfied with how democracy works in Canada, compared to 58 percent of those aged 30 to 44, 59 percent of those aged 45 to 59, and 70 percent of respondents aged 60 and older.
Respondents with only a high school education were less likely to express satisfaction with our form of government, while individuals born outside Canada were more likely to report being satisfied.
Young Canadians were also the least likely to feel free to express their views on contentious political topics. Just 62 percent of respondents aged 18 to 29 said they feel comfortable doing so, compared to 65 percent of those aged 30 to 44, 68 percent of those aged 45 to 59, and 79 percent of those aged 60 and older.
The survey was conducted online with a random sample of 2,000 Canada-based adults between June 17 and 23, 2024. Participants were randomly selected from a partner panel hosted on the Lucid exchange platform.
The full results are available here.
ChatGPT assisted in the creation of this article.
Élie Cantin-Nantel is The Hub’s Ottawa Correspondent. Prior to joining the team, he practiced journalism for a variety of outlets. Élie also has experience working on Parliament Hill and is completing a joint honours in communication and political science at the University of Ottawa. He is bilingual....
