Negative Views of China 'At or Near Historic Highs' Due to Human Rights: Pew

In a report titled, Negative Views of China Tied to Critical Views of its Policies on Human Rights, published on Wednesday, 29 June, the Pew Research Center concluded that "negative views of China remain at or near historic highs" in most of the 19 countries that were surveyed.

In Japan and in Australia, 87 percent and 86 percent of people, respectively, have an unfavourable view of China as per the year 2022. In the US, that figure is 82 percent.

The survey did not include India. Other countries on the list include Germany, Israel, and South Korea.

The unfavourable opinions regarding China, led by the Chinese Communist Party and President Xi Jinping, are primarily connected to human rights.

The report says, "Across the nations surveyed, a median of 79 percent consider these policies [on human rights] a serious problem, and 47 percent say they are a very serious problem."

Despite this, "majorities in over half of the countries surveyed" think that "relations between their country and the superpower are currently in good shape."

The most prominent example is the Netherlands, because "65 percent of the Dutch people think their country's relationship with China is currently in good shape."

This is despite the conclusion that 75 percent of Dutch people have negative views of China and that 64 percent (the highest share in the survey) call China’s policies on human rights "a very serious problem."

A few other conclusions of the report, provided in its summary:

• A "median of 66 percent" say that China's global influence has been getting stronger

• Within the survey, most are for promoting human rights over strengthening economic relations with China

• A median of 66 percent say that economic competition "is at least somewhat serious," while only 30 percent consider it "very serious"

• Most of those who were surveyed have "little to no confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s approach to world affairs"