Article content

OTTAWA — Conservative leader Andrew Scheer is doubling down on his opposition to a free trade deal with China, suggesting a government he leads could pursue deals with democracies such as India instead.

In a phone call to the National Post from the United Kingdom, Scheer said he is trying to build ties with foreign governments ahead of the 2019 federal election out of a belief that he can and will win. “I always believe that I’ll win, in a non-arrogant way,” he said, calling himself “optimistic.”

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Scheer says Canada shouldn't pursue free trade with China — but maybe India, instead Back to video

If that happens, Scheer will make a Canada-U.K. trade deal a “top priority,” he said.

“I know that Prime Minister Trudeau … is actually opposed to the U.K. leaving the European Union and he’s made it clear that his focus is on Canada’s trade relationship with China. So it’s up to him to explain how he would prioritize this, but I wanted to send the signal early,” he said.

Trudeau’s government has said it would pursue a post-Brexit deal with the U.K. since the two countries are already linked through Canada’s free trade deal with the EU.