From December 4 to December 11, the Global Times Research Center conducted the 19th “How Chinese view the world” public opinion survey through online questionnaires. The survey covered ordinary citizens aged 18 to 69 in 16 cities across seven major regions of the Chinese mainland. A total of 2,000 valid questionnaires were collected. The survey results reveal that the Chinese public is generally concerned about international affairs. The majority of respondents hope that China will take on global governance responsibilities and wish for the future relationships between China and neighboring countries, as well as the world, to remain stable or become friendlier and closer.
High concern for international affairs
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has lasted for over 1,000 days, and the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has further increased geopolitical risks, making the global security situation complex and severe. The Chinese public is closely following international affairs, with survey data showing that 97 percent of respondents express concern about international issues, of which 82 percent have a high level of concern.
Additionally, 77 percent of respondents said that they have a habit of reading international news daily, an increase of nearly 10 percentage points compared to 2023.
When asked about the future trajectory of the Middle East situation and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Chinese respondents expressed a relatively optimistic outlook. More than half (51 percent) of Chinese respondents predicted that the situation in the Middle East will ease by 2025.
Chinese respondents are relatively optimistic regarding the international environment that China will face in the coming year. Some 38 percent of respondents believe there will be more opportunities, 32 percent think it will remain unchanged, while less than 30 percent believe there will be threats or challenges.
Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that this reflects the “rational judgment and confidence of the Chinese public regarding the trends in the world.”
“In recent years, China’s national strength has greatly increased, especially in the field of technology, where we have achieved self-reliance and self-improvement. This gives us more confidence to cope with external pressures and challenges such as decoupling and supply chain disruptions,” he said.
China-Russia relations rank first in bilateral ties
When Chinese respondents were asked about who is currently the most important bilateral relationship for China, the survey shows that the China-Russia relationship ranks first with a selection rate of 53.25 percent. It has been ranking the first for four consecutive years after surpassing China-US relations in 2021.
As for the selection of the most important neighboring relationship for China, the China-Russia relationship has ranked first for six consecutive years, with this year’s selection rate at 64 percent among Chinese respondents.
Regarding the future development of China-Russia relations, over 60 percent of Chinese respondents hope for closer and friendlier ties, with the proportion expecting positive developments leading other bilateral relationships. About 30 percent of respondents wish for the relationship to remain unchanged.
Cui Hongjian, a professor with the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, pointed out that in recent years, the economic cooperation and trade exchanges between China and Russia have expanded from traditional industries to manufacturing, consumer goods, cross-border e-commerce, and several other sectors.
“There has also been a significant increase in people-to-people exchanges, such as tourism and studying abroad. This series of exchanges has sparked the interest of the Chinese public in Russia and has boosted attention to China-Russia relations,” Cui told the Global Times.
The perception of the importance of China-US relations among Chinese respondents has shown some changes in this year’s survey. In the ranking of the most important bilateral relationships, China-US relations rank second, with a selection rate of 53.18 percent, which is less than 1 percentage point behind China-Russia relations. The gap has narrowed significantly compared to that of 2023.
Additionally, China-EU relations and relations between China and Southeast Asian countries rank third and fourth, with selection rates of 37 percent and 26 percent, respectively. In the ranking of the importance of neighboring relationships, the relations between China and Southeast Asian countries rank second with a selection rate of 42 percent, while China-Japan relations rank third at 38 percent.
In 2025, China will usher in a “big year” for its relations with Southeast Asian countries, Xu said.
The year 2025 will mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam, as well as between China and Indonesia; the 50th anniversary with Thailand; and the 35th anniversary with Singapore. The bilateral relations with these four countries will become a focal point. Additionally, next year will mark the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference.
“The Bandung Conference holds significant importance in promoting the establishment and transformation of new international relations, including principles such as the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Four Principles of the Bandung Conference. China will continue to carry forward the spirit of the Bandung Conference and promote the establishment of new international relations,” Xu said.
Regarding the future of China-Europe relations, Cui analyzed that “overall, the common interests between China and Europe are substantial, and the relationship is still stable.”
In the coming year, China-Europe relations need to address two main issues. “First, Europe tends to exaggerate the competitive factors in the economic and trade fields. Therefore, it is important to effectively manage this and maintain the primary direction of economic and trade cooperation. Second, both China and Europe need to maintain their composure, find the inherent rules and logic within their relationship, and avoid being overly influenced by external negative factors,” Cui said.
How will China-US relations change?
In November 2024, the results of the US election were announced. Regarding this election, 91 percent of Chinese respondents expressed interest, with nearly 70 percent indicating a high level of attention. As we approach 2025, how will China-US relations change? Over 40 percent of Chinese respondents predict that relations will ease, nearly 30 percent believe they will “remain the same,” and more than 20 percent think they will worsen.
“There is no reason for China and the US to become enemies, and China has never been a ‘threat’ to the US,” Xin Qiang, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times.
In recent years, the US government has designated China as a “strategic competitor,” imposing restrictions on China in various areas such as technology and the economy, while continuously seeking to rally its allies against China. In response, 58 percent of Chinese respondents believe that China should retaliate against the US, with 38 percent advocating for a “moderate fight back,” and 20 percent suggesting a “full-scale fight back.” Additionally, over 30 percent believe that “there is no need to pay too much attention to this and that efforts should be focused on self-development.”
The survey also indicates that if the US government further imposes additional tariffs on Chinese goods, 90 percent of respondents believe that China can successfully cope with this. If future China-US economic and trade relations become tense, 87 percent of respondents still have confidence in the prospect of China’s foreign trade.
When asked which areas China and the US could strengthen cooperation in the future, high-tech fields such as artificial intelligence and big data received the highest selection rate at 44 percent from Chinese respondents, followed by international trade at 41 percent. Global security, low-carbon environmental protection, and green development were also chosen by nearly 40 percent of respondents.
Some 25 percent of Chinese respondents believe that China and the US can enhance exchanges and cooperation in cultural, educational, and sports fields. Meanwhile, more than half of the Chinese respondents expressed their love for American films and television works, as well as American sports leagues (such as the NBA), with percentages of 60 percent and 56 percent, respectively.
Strong confidence in China’s strength
The survey indicates that the Chinese public has a high level of confidence in China’s current strength and international influence. Some 88 percent of Chinese respondents believe that China’s overall national strength is at a strong or very strong level. The proportion of those who consider China’s economic, diplomatic, and military strength to be strong is around 80 percent. Approximately three-quarters of respondents acknowledge China’s strength in technology, culture, and talent. Regarding global influence, 81 percent of Chinese respondents believe that China’s international influence has risen in recent years.
“In 2024, China facilitated the signing of the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity by 14 Palestinian factions and proposed a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. These significant international diplomatic efforts have shown the global community that China is not a threat to world security, but rather a protector of security and a provider of international public goods,” Sun Degang, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times.
Regarding the development of the global economy in the coming year, 57 percent of Chinese respondents are relatively optimistic, a slight decrease from 58 percent the previous year. When asked about their confidence in the prospect of economic globalization, over 80 percent of Chinese respondents expressed a generally optimistic attitude, with nearly 60 percent stating they are “very confident” or “somewhat confident.”
The survey also shows that three-quarters of Chinese respondents are optimistic about the prospects for Chinese companies “going global,” with 30 percent expressing “very optimistic” views. Regarding foreign investment in China, 80 percent of respondents expressed a welcoming attitude, with 30 percent stating they are “very welcoming.”
When asked which technology sectors in China have the most promising development prospects over the next three years, Chinese respondents are most optimistic about the development of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and new energy industries, each chosen by 49 percent of respondents. The chip research and development sector follows with 42 percent. Additionally, fields such as life sciences and biomanufacturing, green environmental protection, digital economy, commercial aerospace, and high-end equipment manufacturing are also viewed positively, with selection rates close to 40 percent.
GT
