By Qiang Wei, People’s Daily
Global Times Institute on Jan.10, 2025 released its first survey on China’s international image. The survey revealed that over 90 percent of foreign respondents believe that China’s economy will continue to grow in the next decade.
Besides, a majority of foreign respondents see China as a member of the Global South and hope that China will lead other Global South countries to jointly safeguard world peace, preserve cultural diversity, promote economic cooperation, and enhance international discourse power.
The survey interviewed over 51,000 individuals from 14 developed and 32 developing countries, covering representative countries from every continent, and all G20, BRICS, and ASEAN countries.
This is a global public survey with the largest scale, the largest sample size, and the most comprehensive and in-depth questionnaire design conducted by a Chinese institute since the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
The survey found that the majority of foreign respondents hold a positive view on China’s future economic growth and development potential, with nearly 80 percent expressing confidence in China’s development prospects. Almost 60 of foreign respondents recognize China as a major driving force of world economic growth. More than three-quarters of developing countries, Middle Eastern countries, and BRICS countries expect an increase in China’s economic growth; this proportion reaches 85 percent in African countries, over 70 percent in European countries and ASEAN countries, and over 60 percent in developed countries.
Sixty percent of foreign respondents agree that China’s continuously deepening reform and opening-up are “in the right direction.” About two-thirds see a bright and promising future for the Chinese economy, while 20 percent hold a neutral stance. African countries hold the highest favorable view (81 percent), while the proportion of Middle Eastern, BRICS, and developing countries exceeds 70 percent. More than 60 percent of respondents from European and ASEAN countries believe that the Chinese economy is bright and has great potential while more than 50 percent of developed countries hold the same view.
In the questionnaire, respondents were asked to describe their main impression of China over the past year. The results show that the most frequently mentioned keywords include “economy,” “technology/science,” “developing/developed,” “good,” “strong/strong country,” “advanced/innovation,” “culture/civilization,” “goods/products,” “large population,” and “Chinese food/cuisine.”
In developed, European, Middle Eastern, and ASEAN countries, “economy” is the most frequently mentioned term, while in developing, African, and BRICS countries, “technology” is mentioned most frequently. Regarding the overall evaluation of China and the Chinese people, nearly 60 percent of foreign respondents have a good impression, with over 30 percent holding a neutral attitude.
Currently, the Global South is gaining remarkable momentum and playing an increasingly important role in the progress of humanity. In this survey, the vast majority of foreign respondents acknowledge China as a member of the Global South, with most of them hoping that China will lead Global South countries in jointly safeguarding world peace, preserving cultural diversity, promoting economic cooperation, and enhancing international discourse power.
Regarding China’s relationship with other developing countries, data from the survey shows that a significantly higher proportion of respondents agree that China is a partner to fellow developing countries, instead of “practicing Neo-colonialism,” “creating a debt trap,” “plundering resources,” “transferring overcapacity”, among others in Western narratives.
So far, China has established diplomatic relations with 183 countries and has become a major trading partner for over 150 countries and regions. The survey highlights a universal aspiration for friendly relations with China among people across the globe. Over 80 percent of foreign respondents believe that their country’s relationship with China is friendly, normal, and strategically cooperative, with 62 percent hoping for further improvement in relations with China.
With China’s implementation of its relaxed and optimized visa-free transit policy, almost 70 percent of respondents have expressed willingness to visit China in the future. Additionally, compared to respondents in the 40-plus age group, respondents under the age of 40 have greater interest in, better impressions of, higher enthusiasm for, and stronger recognition of China.
