On July 18 of this year, the Pew Research Foundation released a survey that details how people around the world view China and the USA. Pew surveyed 37,653 people in 39 countries from March 2 to May 1, 2013. The survey asked people’s opinions regarding superpower status, economic might, and favorability ratings.
Regarding superpower status, Pew concluded that, “Publics around the world believe the global balance of power is shifting. China’s economic power is on the rise, and many think it will eventually supplant the United States as the world’s dominant superpower.”
In 23 of the 39 nations polled, majorities or pluralities say that China either already has replaced or eventually will replace the U.S. as the world’s top superpower. Among these countries include America’s neighbors: Canada (67%) and Mexico (50%). This view is especially strong in Europe: Spain (71%), France (70%), Germany (66%), and even America’s closest ally, Britain (66%).
Only 47% of Americans think China will supplant the United States as the world’s dominant superpower while among the Chinese the number is 66%.
Regarding economic status, since the financial meltdown in the USA in 2008, the median percentage of respondents who say that the USA is the world’s leading economic power has declined from 47% to 41%, while it has increased from 20% to 34% for China. Fifty-three percent of British respondents said that China is the leading global economy. In Germany, 59% say it is China.
The USA is still seen as the world’s leading economy in Asia. This is especially true in Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea.
Regarding the use of power, the survey shows that, “China acts unilaterally in world affairs, pursuing its own interests and not taking into account the interests of other countries when making foreign policy decisions.” Yet, the same is true for the USA: “Most of those surveyed say the U.S. ignores their interest when it is making foreign policy.”
America’s image has improved since Barack Obama replaced George W. Bush, but Obama’s image in the world is sliding. In particular, America’s use of attack drones is widely opposed across the globe. (This week, The New York Times reported that Obama’s policy on drones is shifting away from killing to espionage.)
What does the world think of China? Their favorability rating is 50%. The Pew report says that number has hardly changed since 2008. China’s strongest supporters include Malaysia (81%), Indonesia (70%), and Pakistan (81%). A majority of Australians (58%) have a favorable opinion of China.
Chinese investment has increased significantly in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa. This might help explain why views toward China are positive in those regions. Seventy-eight percent of Kenyans have a positive view of China as do 76% of Nigerians. Latin American countries that export commodities to China have a highly positive view of China: Venezuela (71%), Brazil (65%), and Chile (62%). Bolivia (58%) and Argentina (54%) too think favorably of the Chinese.
The Pew report points to global attitudes of young people toward China and concludes, “China’s greatest global asset in the future may be its appeal among young adults around the world.”
What about the USA? Pew says, “Overall, global attitudes toward America are positive.” They say this is especially true in Europe, except for Greece (who of course has been under the heavy hand of international bankers to stabilize their economy). The USA is viewed negatively, as one would expect, in the largely Muslim Middle East except among Jews living in Israel (Arabs living there have a decidedly negative view of the USA.).
At the other end of the globe, the USA receives favorable reviews throughout Latin America, even in Bolivia and Venezuela, whose leaders call the USA an “imperialist power.” Argentina, on the other-hand, disapproves with only 41% of those polled giving the USA a favorable rating. Still, this is an improvement over the 17% approval rating Argentina gave the USA in 2007. (In Argentina, President Cristina Fernandez calls Wall Street bankers “Vulture Capitalists” because of their continued efforts to collect sovereign debt, which the government defaulted on in 2002.)
What about China itself? In China people under 30 years of age have a favorable view of the USA, whereas older people are less inclined to do so.
“Soft Power” is roughly defined as the ability to attract rather than coerce. Of course the USA’s entertainment industry, with its movies, television, and music, has admirers around the world, but technical dexterity is also one aspect of soft power too. Pew says, “Science and technology are China’s most popular soft power.” 85% of Nigerians, 80% of Salvadorans, and 80% of Venezuelans admire Chinese technological prowess. The same is true in Chile (75%), Argentina (72%), and Mexico (61%). Pew says one reason for this is these are markets where products designed and manufactured in China, like Lenovo computers and Huawei cell phones, are sold.
One reason some parts of the world might not know about Chinese products are their availability. For example, Americans know that the Chinese company FoxPro manufacturers iPads for Apple, but they might not know about Chevy automobiles and Chinese-made motorcycles, which are sold in Latin America and Africa. These companies might not yet be operating in the USA and other developed nations because of the logistical difficulties of operating there. For example, the USA operates as 50 distinct markets, so the companies would need showrooms, offices, and business licenses in each state. To mention Argentina again, Lenovo computers are manufactured and sold there in part because the country has import restrictions designed to prevent the collapse of their currency. You can scarcely find an iPhone in Argentina, because Apple refuses to manufacture there.
In sum, the USA is seeing its perception around the world change. China is rapidly catching up and could one day overtake America in economic power and influence as the Pew Research Foundation’s Global Attitudes Project explains.
Walker Rowe is Publisher at Southern Pacific Review. He lives in Santiago, Chile.
