Few Canadians are willing to give Beijing the benefit of the doubt when it comes to bilateral relations with Ottawa, according to a new survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute.

Also according to the survey, 40 percent said the federal government should treat the Chinese government as a threat to its interests while 22 percent said they consider Beijing an "enemy".

Conversely, 12 percent of Canadians surveyed said their view of China is positive.

Canadian views of the world may have been influenced by recent developments in the Canada-China relationship, with allegations that the Chinese government intervened in the recent Canadian elections twice.

Canadians also shared negative views about Russia, with data indicating that up to 72 percent of Canadians believe Russia should be regarded as a threat or enemy after its invasion of Ukraine.

Similarly, when it comes to the United States, three out of five (58 percent) Canadians said they have a positive impression of this country, for the second time since 2016, when this country’s popularity was very high.

And two out of five (39 percent) have a more negative evaluation of the United States while the majority of Canadians (73 percent) believe the United States should be regarded at least as a friend (25 percent) if not as an important ally (48 percent).

The survey also found that three out of five former Conservative voters view China very unfavorably, with the share being 47 percent for former Liberal voters, 37 percent for New Democratic Party voters, and 36 percent for Bloc Québécois voters.

However, most Canadians (62 percent) said they view Taiwan positively because the territory remains a source of political tension for China.