Ethics Newsline®

Poll Charts Chinese Public’s High Satisfaction, Hopes for Olympics

Aug 11th, 2008 • Posted in: Research Report

Rest of the world conflicted over China’s emerging power and role as host of Olympics

From the Pew Research Center:

“While publics around the world are showing signs of apprehension about China’s growing economic power, its role in foreign affairs and the safety of the products it exports, the Chinese are confident that the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing will change the way their country is viewed. By nearly unanimous margins, Chinese respondents say their country will be a successful host and that the Olympic Games will help China’s image around the world.

“Olympic contenders flocking to Beijing from all corners of world will be greeted by a people who currently express extraordinary levels of satisfaction with the way things are going in their country and with their nation’s economy. With more than eight-in-ten having a positive view of both, China ranks number one among 24 countries on both measures in the 2008 survey by the Pew Research Center’s Pew Global Attitudes Project….

“The survey finds that international opinion largely approves of holding the upcoming 2008 Summer Olympics in China. Majorities in 14 of 23 countries say the decision to hold the games there was a good one.

“However, European publics are notably less enthusiastic. In France, home to large demonstrations when the Olympic torch passed through the country, a clear 55%-majority calls the decision to hold the games in China a mistake. On balance, the British and Spanish approve of holding the event in China, while Germans, Americans and Poles are more divided on this question. And, unlike in other Asian nations, opposition to the Beijing Games runs high in Japan — 55% of Japanese disapprove of the decision to hold the Olympics there, while just 39% approve….

“As the international spotlight turns to China and the 2008 Beijing Olympics, international publics are showing signs of apprehension about the country and its growing power. Overall, favorable views of China have declined slightly over the last year, and this is especially true in Asia, as well as in Western nations, where enthusiasm for the Beijing Games is muted and concern about China’s increasing military strength is on the rise.

“For most publics included in the survey, a familiar complaint about American foreign policy — that it tends to be unilateralist — rings true for China as well. The perception that China fails to consider the interests of others when making foreign policy decisions is widespread….

“Majorities in seven of the survey’s 23 nations give China a favorable rating. This is the same number of countries in which majorities rate the United States positively….”

For the full press release from Pew, Aug. 5, click here.

For more information, see: Related Newsline story, July 14 — Related Newsline story, July 7 — Related Newsline story, June 23 — Related Newsline story, May 27.