WASHINGTON - A new international survey suggests a vast majority of Canadians would prefer to see closer economic ties with the United States than with China.

The latest Pew Research Center survey found 87 per cent of 1,011 Canadian respondents see the U.S. as the better economic ally, up from 73 per cent in 2015.

The survey of 16 different countries clearly reflects a sharp decline in Canadian opinions of China since diplomatic tensions erupted in late 2018.

That's when Canada detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. extradition request, a move that prompted retaliatory action from China.

Two Canadians - Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor - remain in custody there on what the federal Liberal government and others consider false pretences.

The Canadian portion of the Pew survey was conducted by telephone between March 15 and May 3, and carries a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.