A recent report revealed that most of the global population perceives China as having a significant influence on their national economies. However, people in developed countries are more likely to hold opposing views on this influence.
The US Pew Research Center released the survey on Wednesday. It was conducted on 44,000 adults from 35 countries from January through May. Most of these countries reported that China significantly or partially influences their economies.
The report indicated that perceptions of China’s expanding influence are widespread. In 10 out of 13 surveyed countries, more respondents now believe that China significantly affects their economies compared to five years ago. The most notable increase was observed in Brazil, where the proportion of those perceiving significant Chinese influence nearly doubled, jumping to 51% from 26% in 2019. Following Brazil, countries such as India, Kenya, Argentina, Mexico, Tunisia, and Turkey also saw increases, with the percentage rising from 12% to 19%.
The Pew Research Center stated, “A considerable part of China’s influence on foreign economies stems from its Belt and Road initiative. China’s foreign direct investment worldwide is nearing $3 trillion.” According to data analyzed by Bloomberg from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, China’s foreign investment last year reached a record high for the previous eight years.
The report revealed that perceptions of China’s economic influence differ significantly based on the income levels of the countries surveyed. In the 17 middle-income countries in the survey, 47% of respondents viewed China’s influence on their economies as positive. Conversely, in the 18 high-income countries surveyed, 57% of respondents perceived China’s influence negatively. The United States registered some of the most negative views, with 67% of respondents considering China’s influence unfavorable. This sentiment was echoed in Germany (69%), France (68%), and equally in Canada, Japan, and Australia (67% each). In contrast, countries like Thailand (81%), Kenya (80%), and Bangladesh (79%) had over 60% of respondents viewing China’s influence positively.
The report also tracked changes in perceptions of China’s influence. The Pew Research Center found that in eight out of 15 countries where comparisons could be made with previous survey data, people’s views of China’s influence have grown more negative. This trend was predominantly observed in high-income, developed nations. Japan experienced the most significant shift, with the percentage of respondents who view China’s influence as negative soaring from 42% in 2019 to 67% in 2024—a 25-percentage point increase. Other notable increases include Israel, where negative perceptions grew by 16 percentage points, Argentina by 8 percentage points, and both South Korea and Tunisia by 7 percentage points each.
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