We feel that the planet we know is changing, that it is at a crossroads. The global order is changed in its expression established at the end of the Cold War. China is undoubtedly at the centre of these changes.
The global community watches China, any with curiosity and expectation, any with reluctance or anxiety.
How do the Chinese themselves view the planet today?
The Center for strategical Studies and safety at TsingHua University (清华大学战略与安全研究中心), 1 of the Chinese think tanks dealing with safety issues, published the results of its latest investigation on this subject. The studies were conducted at the turn of 2022 and 2023, among others, through questionnaires sent to respondents via the Internet.
The more crucial conclusions contained in the summary of the studies are as follows:
- more than 80% of respondents believe that they “understand” the concept of “international security” and more than 60% believe that global safety has “very large” or “relatively large” influence on them personally;
- 90% of those surveyed consider the absence of war a basic safety condition. another conditions include economical and financial prosperity, the absence of large and uncontrolled risks caused by man (such as climate change, data privacy violations, etc.), as well as ideological conflicts;
- for 38.6%, the main origin of information related to global safety are central media (the Agency XinHua, CCTV, People’s regular and People’s Online, as well as social media like Wechat, Sina WeiBo and authoritative government websites;
- 49.8% of respondents believe that the planet present is “safe”, while 19.99% believe that the planet is “dangerous” and “unsafe”;
- four out of 10 respondents consider China to be “safe” in the current global environment;
- 68% of respondents believe that globalisation brings more benefits than losses in the context of the country's improvement – specified opinion dominates all respondents regardless of age, education or income;
- When it comes to beginning China to the world, 85.4% of respondents have a affirmative attitude towards the improvement of abroad trade, affirmative perceptions of foreigners coming to China for studies, work, business purposes, or global cooperation in research. On the question “do you encourage Chinese students to survey in Europe and the United States?” 17% of respondents stated that “essentially does not approve” of specified action, but more than 75% proceed to support the promotion of abroad studies, but provided that these students return to the country after graduation.
- among the threats to global security, the surveyed first placed the global pandemic – possibly due to the fact that the survey was conducted at the turn of the year erstwhile the subject was inactive "hot". Second place was the intervention of abroad centres in Taiwan and consequently the confrontation with the United States. The least impact on global security, according to the surveyed, was on issues specified as the collapse of the peace process in the mediate East, terrorism, climate change or the crucial deterioration of the global economical situation;
- The conflict with the United States has been identified as 1 of the top threats to global security, but almost half of the respondents believe that relations between the 2 powers will improve in the close future. 24.76% believe that Chinese-American relations will proceed to deteriorate. 40% of respondents say that the main origin of current problems in US relations with China is unilateral US action. The same percent considers that this is due to an nonsubjective conflict of interest between the 2 parties;
- According to 53.4% of respondents, China is presently the most influential country in the world. In the following places, the surveyed included the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations. 90.4% felt that China's global influence had increased over the past 5 years, 90.8% were convinced that these influences would proceed to grow over the next 10 years;
- 91.54% of the respondents support the imposition of sanctions on countries, entities or persons who harm China's interests; 74.93% support China's establishment of military bases outside the PRC to guarantee the State's security, and 90.34% advocated that the Chinese military operate abroad if the safety of Chinese citizens is at serious hazard somewhere;
- The majority of respondents considered the United States to be the biggest threat to China's security. Japan was subsequently mentioned. These 2 countries received the most negative opinions. On the another hand, more than 60% were affirmative for Russia;
- 80.1% of respondents say that the United States and Western countries are liable for the crisis in Ukraine. Only 11.7% find Russia guilty of this conflict.
The study's comment highlighted that Chinese respondents are highly afraid about global safety issues; among the phenomena that exacerbate this concern indicate an epidemiological threat (this has overturned their lives, effects so far), territorial disputes (Taiwan of course) and relations with the world's largest countries (tense on the Beijing- Washington line).
The Chinese are aware of the importance of China's influence in the planet and their confidence. They hope that China will adopt a more active diplomatic attitude. They are most afraid about the relations with the United States and their global action against China. At the same time, the Chinese are highly affirmative towards Russia.
According to TsingHua University strategical and safety Studies Center, the key to Chinese communication with abroad countries is to enable the planet to get to know China thoroughly. For a long time, the amount of information about China from China itself in the global media space was negligible. It should be taken into account that China, as well as the West, tend to usage circumstantial "filters" for messages sent outside. China's description in the transmission to abroad is frequently characterized by, possibly unconsciously used, a glorification filter. At the same time, Western media, describing China and Chinese reality, are utilizing a distorting, slandering filter.
The authors of the survey postulate showing reality without filters.
But is that inactive possible?
Author: 梁安基 Andrzej Z. Liang, 上海 Shanghai, 中国 China
Email: [email protected]
Editorial: Leszek B.
Email: [email protected]
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