Opinion of China in superior economies sours ‘precipitously’ beneath Xi

By James Pomfret

BEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) – Public opinion in the direction of China in america and different superior economies has turned “precipitously extra adverse” beneath President Xi Jinping, in accordance with a worldwide survey by the Pew Analysis Heart.

Xi, 69, is broadly anticipated to win a precedent-breaking third five-year time period as chief at a Communist Get together congress that begins in Beijing on Oct. 16, securing his standing as China’s strongest chief since Mao Zedong.

Whereas China’s financial rise and its investments have been seen as a constructive for some Latin American, Center Jap and African international locations, financial competitors with China was seen as a “significant issue” in superior economies like Japan, South Korea, america and Australia, in accordance with Pew.

The survey, revealed on Wednesday, discovered that unfavourable views of China in developed economies had hovered in a comparatively slim band between 2002-2017, earlier than worsening amid considerations together with human rights and army energy, with a number of the sharpest adjustments between 2019 and 2020, Washington-based Pew stated.

The shift in opinion was triggered partly by perceptions of China’s dealing with of COVID-19, which emerged within the Chinese language metropolis of Wuhan in late 2019, in addition to a commerce struggle with america, aggressive overseas coverage and a army buildup within the South China Sea.

In america, 82% of respondents this yr expressed an “unfavourable opinion” of China, up from 79% in 2020.

The share of those that stated that they had “no confidence” in Xi to do the “proper factor relating to world affairs” was 87% in South Korea in 2022, up from 29% in 2015. In Britain, the determine elevated to 70% in 2022 from 44% in 2014.

“Throughout superior economies, there’s little or no confidence in Xi’s dealing with of world affairs and really adverse views of the nation, general,” Laura Silver, a lead creator of the report, informed Reuters.

A number of the penalties of the deterioration included a pivot by international locations like Australia, Canada, Japan and South Korea in the direction of more and more favouring financial ties with america relative to China, she stated.

Whereas most respondents in North America and Europe stated their international locations ought to prioritise human rights in China above financial ties, a majority in Israel, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea stated it was extra necessary to strengthen financial relations with Beijing.

China’s overseas ministry rejected Pew’s findings when requested about them at an everyday information convention on Thursday.

“The ballot you point out was carried out amongst a small variety of developed international locations and isn’t consultant of the views of the huge variety of creating international locations that make up almost 90% of the world’s inhabitants,” overseas ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin informed reporters.

“President Xi Jinping is a frontrunner who’s properly supported by 1.4 billion Chinese language individuals and enjoys excessive status within the worldwide group,” Wang added.