In the next five to 10 years, China should focus on building its national image as a contributor to global development, a country with a rich history in the East, and a responsible major country, according to a global survey.

The main findings of the 2019 China National Image Global Survey were released by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS), a research institute affiliated to China International Publishing Group (CIPG), in Beijing on September 15.

China’s overall image kept improving in 2019, with overseas youth, aged 18-35 having the best impressions of China. The country scored 6.3 on a 10-point system, 0.1 point higher than that of the previous survey. The results also showed that BRICS countries maintain their good impressions of China.

The 2019 China National Image Global Survey released by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies in Beijing on September 15 (LI QING)

Regarding China’s participation in global governance, more than half of the respondents expect it to play bigger roles in the fields of economy and science and technology.

The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China enjoys increasing popularity, with 23 percent of the overseas respondents acquainted with it, 3 percentage points more than in 2018. The top six countries with the highest awareness of the initiative were India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Germany.

More people, compared with the 2018 survey, thought that Chinese enterprises would bring along new capital and technologies, and create jobs in other countries. And fewer people thought that Chinese enterprises would impact local employment and affect the balance of the local industrial chain.

Those in developing countries had greater expectations for the opportunities to emerge from Chinese enterprises’ presence in their countries, the survey said.

While infrastructure connectivity and unimpeded trade are the most praised areas, the survey showed that geopolitical conflicts, differences in political systems and trade protectionism are the major challenges faced by participating countries of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Yu Yunquan, President of ACCWS, shared the major findings at the briefing. The topics of the survey included China’s overall national image and influence, politics, the economy, culture and science and technology, he said, adding that there were also new topics such as China’s advocacy of exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and achievements since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949.

These topics help reveal the respondents’ understanding of the national image of China in 2019 in a more comprehensive manner, he said.

Gao Anming, Vice President and Editor in Chief of China International Publishing Group, gives a speech during a briefing held by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies in Beijing on September 15 (COURTESY PHOTO)

As the survey was conducted before the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, it may serve as an reference for ACCWS as well as many other institutions to conduct research on China’s national image in the post-epidemic era, Gao Anming, Vice President and Editor in Chief of CIPG, said while addressing the event.

He also encouraged domestic institutions to conduct more independent public opinion surveys, and incorporate them into new areas of cooperation with foreign think tanks in the future.

The survey was conducted by ACCWS and Kantar Group, a marketing data, insight and consultancy company, with 500 respondents each from 22 countries in Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and Africa, from June to September in 2019.

Copyedited by Madhusudan Chaubey

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