Views toward China diverge between rich and middle-income nations, Pew report shows

WASHINGTON (AP) — Global views toward China appear to be divided between high-income and middle-income countries, and the gap apparently is the widest among China’s neighbors in the Indo-Pacific region, according to a newly released poll from the Pew Research Center that surveyed people in 35 countries.

Fifteen out of the 18 high-income countries surveyed expressed unfavorable views toward China, with Japan and Australia leading the pack with more than 8 in 10 in those countries viewing China negatively. By comparison, 14 of the 17 middle-income countries had rosier views of China, and Thailand held the most favorable views of China, with 80% of adults having a positive view toward China, according to Pew.

The report was released Tuesday as the leaders of NATO nations were convening in Washington to discuss the war in Ukraine but also to express concerns over China. The Western military alliance is expected to deepen cooperation with its four Indo-Pacific partners — Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand — at a time of intensifying competitions between Washington and Beijing over global governance.

In the Indo-Pacific region, Washington is forging alliances and partnerships with like-minded governments to push back at Beijing’s expanding influences. According to the Pew report, many countries surveyed in the region were very or somewhat concerned about China’s territorial disputes.

The Philippines, locked in a dispute with China over the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, was the most worried, with about 9 in 10 Filipinos expressing concerns. A similar share of those in South Korea and Japan were concerned, and about 8 in 10 in Australia were. All three countries are members of an informal grouping of four