Editor’s note: China is a powerful country with enormous political and economic power – but really, is it? Is it really?

To assuage our fears, this translated Chinese article confirms our beliefs by emphasizing the rise of China through the tacit acknowledgement of foreigners located all around the world.



Source: Francisco Diez

On December 7, the Public Opinion Research Center of the “Global Times” published an international report, which investigated what foreigners really think of China. People from 14 countries participated in the investigation. 30.3% of respondents say that the term “self-confident” is the most apt term in describing China’s international image. Other descriptions respondents thought apt include, “Advocating militarization”, “complicated”, “diligent and thrifty”, “emphasize family values” and “friendly.”

The topic of this project is “2013 World-Wide Investigation of China’s International Image and Influence”. The survey solicited the opinions of average people located throughout 14 countries across the world, with the aim of gathering public opinion and perspective so as to ascertain China’s current influence, national image and diplomatic relations within the international stage. The 14 countries involved in the study were; Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, the Philippines, UK, USA, South Africa, South Korea, Vietnam and China itself.

In regards to where they get their information about China, 44.4% of foreign respondents say they read “famous international media outlets (like CNN and BBC)” while only 12.1% say they get this information in their country from “Chinese news media disseminated within their country”.

How much power does China have?

In regards to the power of China, 60% of foreign respondents say that China is “already a world power” while 26% of respondents say that China is “not yet a total world power”. Only 6.1% of survey participants say that China “is not a world power”.

In regards to what kind of powers China possesses as a world power, 73.0% of foreign respondents answered with “economic power”; 34.3% answered with “political and diplomatic power”; while 23.6% and 22.2% of respondents answered with “military power” and “cultural influence”, respectively.

Foreign interviewees are inclined to believe that in the next 10 years the country with the most international influence will still be the US, with China in second. However, when asked specifically about Asian affairs these respondents believed China will be the dominant country and the US will be second, highlighting that China’s international image and influence is much stronger in Asia.

What does the future of China’s partnerships look like?

China has done well to promote its international image and influence in Africa; out of all the surveys, respondents in Kenya and South Africa think that their country has the best diplomatic and political relations with China at the present time. On the other hand, respondents in Japan and Vietnam think that their country’s relations with China are the worst.

Worth noting is that the number of respondents that like China are much more numerous than respondents that don’t like China. 64.3% of respondents from Kenya state that they like China, while over half of respondents from Japan state that they don’t like China.

Additionally, 40.8% of respondents think that their home country will engage in co-operative relationships with China over the next ten years; of this group, 16.4% believe that their countries will become “co-operative partners”, and 24.4% of respondents think that their country will become “strategic co-operative partners”. Respondents who have the opinion that their home country will have an “antagonistic relationship” with China only total 7.1% of all respondents.

Furthermore, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Japan all have stronger impressions due to the problem of the territorial dispute. Respondents from the Philippines are more inclined to have the US intervene and solve the territorial dispute.

Source: Wenxuecity

What to Expect from Your Employment Contract in China? Sign up a free account and receive the free career advice from other expats. Sign up with Google Already have an account? Sign in

To continue reading the full article, please sign up a free account Sign up with Google Already have an account? Sign in

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: China’s international image and influence Variations: power of China; China’s partnerships; co-operative relationships with China; diplomatic power; economic power