[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Global anti-China sentiment has reportedly intensified due to human rights issues and COVID-19. In countries such as South Korea and the United States, 8 out of 10 people view China negatively, marking an all-time high.
On the 29th (local time), the Pew Research Center announced the results of a survey conducted from February 14 to March 3, involving 24,525 people from 19 countries, investigating their perceptions of China. The median percentage of respondents holding a negative view of China was 68%. Among the 15 countries surveyed last year as well, all except Belgium showed an increase in anti-China sentiment.
By country, 82% of Americans reported having a negative impression of China, and South Korea followed closely at 80%. These figures represent increases of 6 and 3 percentage points respectively compared to last year. Additionally, 74% of respondents in Germany and Canada viewed China negatively. The Pew Research Center noted that the proportions of people with negative views of China in the U.S., South Korea, Germany, and Canada are the highest recorded since the survey began.
Japan's anti-China sentiment reached 87%, while Australia and Sweden recorded 86% and 83% respectively. Even in Greece, which has actively welcomed Chinese investment and maintained friendly relations with China, negative sentiment toward China reached a record high of 50%.
The Pew Research Center analyzed that these results stem from a combination of China's growing military threat, human rights abuses, and its role as the origin of COVID-19. The response rate indicating that China's human rights issues are "serious" was 79% (median among all surveyed countries), exceeding the overall anti-China sentiment by more than 10 percentage points. Concerns about human rights were higher than those related to China's military power, economic competition, or political interference.
Negative perceptions of Chinese President Xi Jinping were also overwhelming. Japan had the highest rate of distrust at 89%, followed by Australia, South Korea, Sweden, the United States, and France, all exceeding 80%. The Pew Research Center reported that this perception has persisted since last year.
The Pew Research Center particularly noted the sharp rise in anti-China sentiment in South Korea. South Korea's negative views of China were only 37% in 2014 but rose to the 60% range in 2017 following China's economic retaliation over the deployment of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense). The sentiment then surged to 75% in 2020 and 77% in 2021. The Center analyzed that South Korea was the only surveyed country where younger generations held stronger anti-China views than older generations.
Despite these negative perceptions, 66% (median among all surveyed countries) assessed China's global influence as having recently grown stronger compared to other countries. Some countries also reported negative views of China while maintaining good bilateral relations. For example, in the Netherlands, 75% viewed China negatively, but only 32% said the relationship between China and the Netherlands was poor.
The Pew Research Center stated, "Most surveyed countries believe it is important to address human rights issues even if economic relations with China suffer, but there are differences by country." It added, "In the Asia-Pacific region, countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea generally prefer to strengthen economic ties, which does not necessarily mean they overlook human rights issues."
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