ADRN

China's President Xi Jinping surrounded by other Asian leaders at an Asean summit in Indonesia. Photo: AFP

 

People in Japan, the United States, China and South Korea expect Beijing’s influence in Asia to expand in the next 10 years, a survey has suggested.

 

About half of those polled in each country think the impact of the United States in the area is likely to remain about the same as present, rather than increase, despite US President Barack Obama’s policy of seeking a strategic rebalancing to the region, the survey said.

 

The poll was conducted among 7,186 people earlier this year by think tanks from the four countries, Genron NPO of Japan, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Horizon Research Consultation Group in China and the East Asia Institute in South Korea.

 

In response to a multiple-answer question on which country was likely to act responsibly in dealing with world problems such as terrorism, the environment or refugees, more than half of Japanese and Americans said Japan, the United States and the European Union would do so.

  

Meanwhile, 72.1 per cent of Chinese expected Russia to act responsibly on these issues, following 90.1 per cent for their own country. Some 70.6 per cent of South Koreans held such expectations for China.

 

In response to a question on which relationship with another country was important, 84.1 per cent of South Koreans said Japan, 98 per said the United States and 96.6 per cent cited China.

 

For Chinese, the relationship with Japan was least important at only 47.3 per cent, compared with ties with the United States and South Korea -- 79 per cent and 70.2 per cent respectively.

 

“Difficulties have been seen in the relationships between the United States, South Korea and Japan. And there are clear signs of a tendency to lean toward China among South Korean citizens,” said Genron NPO President Yasushi Kudo.

 

Asked about potential sources of conflict in Asia, 79 per cent of Americans cited China’s military build-up, while 65.2 per cent of Chinese mentioned the US military presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

In response to a question on whether the US military presence in Asia should be increased or decreased, more than half of Americans, South Koreans and Japanese said it should be maintained at its present level, but 58.2 per cent of Chinese supported a decrease in the US military presence.