China’s economic influence more welcome in poorer countries, poll finds
Al Jazeera
Thailand holds most positive views of China, followed by Nigeria, Kenya and Tunisia, Pew survey shows.
Taipei, Taiwan – China’s economic influence is felt everywhere around the world, but whether it is viewed in a positive or negative light depends greatly on each country’s economic development, a survey of 35 countries has found.
People living in high-income countries like the United States, Canada, Australia expressed broadly unfavourable views of China overall, with a median of 70 percent of people across 18 countries reporting negative feelings, according to polling released this week by the Pew Research Center.
Those perceptions flipped in middle-income countries like Thailand, Kenya, and Bangladesh, with a median of 56 percent of respondents across 17 countries reporting favourable views, according to the Pew figures published on Tuesday.
Within the 35 countries surveyed, individual views varied widely, with the lowest approval rating reported by Sweden at 11 percent, followed by Japan (12 percent), Australia (14 percent) and the US (16 percent).
The most positive views were reported by Thailand at 80 percent, followed by Nigeria (75 percent), Kenya (73 percent), Tunisia (68 percent), and Singapore (67 percent).
