People's Views of China Are Mixed, According to Global Study

The People's Republic of China celebrates its 70th anniversary on Tuesday, and the views of the country by people around the world are mixed, according to new research by the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C.

Negative views of China have turned most sharply turned negative in North America, Western Europe and across the Asia-Pacific, while positive views of the East Asian giant were recorded in Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, according to the report, released on Monday.

Overall, a median of 41% in a total of 32 countries included in the Pew Global Attitudes survey expressed a favorable opinion of China, while a median of 37% said they had an unfavorable opinion. The research was derived from interviews with 34,904 people and was conducted May 13 to Aug. 29, 2019.

"While majorities in most countries agree China's influence on the world stage has grown markedly, this has not necessarily translated into favorable views of the country," say the authors of the Pew report. Among the survey's notable findings:

-- Canada, Indonesia, and Sweden reported the biggest declines in favorable opinions toward China in the past year, of 17 percentage points.

-- By contrast, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Argentina, Greece, Italy, Nigeria, Israel and Poland reported increases in favorable opinions toward the East Asian superpower during the past year.

-- Countries across Western Europe tend to be negative about China, the survey showed. "While 51% in Greece have a positive view of China, pluralities or majorities in Western European countries have an unfavorable view, ranging from 53% in Spain to 70% in Sweden," say the authors of the report.

-- Respondents in the United States and Canada recorded sharp increases in their negative views about China. In 2018, 45% of Canadians surveyed said they view China unfavorably. That level rose to 67% in 2019. In the U.S., 47% of people surveyed reported negative views of China in 2018, while in 2019 60% of those surveyed expressed negative views.

-- China drew unfavorable ratings from its neighbors across the Asia-Pacific. In Japan, 85% of respondents said they had unfavorable views of China, the highest mark in any country. Majorities in South Korea (63%), Australia (57%) and the Philippines (54%) also reported negative views of China.

Younger people around the world reported more positive attitudes toward the Asian superpower. In 20 countries, adults 18 to 29 expressed more favorable views than those 50 and older.

The Pew report comes during a prolonged trade war between China and the U.S., European worries about fair trade and a diplomatic row with Canada. Earlier in September, Beijing slammed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's comments that China was arbitrarily detaining two Canadians. Authorities in Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese telecom giant Huawei last December at the request of the U.S., where she is wanted on fraud charges.

Beijing is also facing internal unrest. Protests have been regularly taking place in Hong Kong since June, at first criticizing a now-shelved extradition bill and has since grown into a larger anti-China movement. Hong Kong police on Monday warned protesters against violence during Tuesday's anniversary observations.

Sintia Radu covers international affairs and technology for U.S. News & World Report. You can follow her on Twitter @sintiaradu and send her suggestions and ideas at sradu@usnews.com.