US-China trust

By Frank Ching

Almost 24 years after the Chinese military cracked down on protesters in Tiananmen Square and across the country, the American public’s view of China is still largely unfavorable, according to the latest Gallup World Affairs survey. The results of the survey, conducted in early February, show that 52 percent of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of China versus 43 percent with a favorable view.

This is a slight improvement over last year, when 56 percent had an unfavorable view versus 41 percent with a favorable opinion.

By contrast, in Asia, Japan ― a U.S. ally ― enjoys an 81 percent favorable rating vis-a-vis 15 percent unfavorable. India ― a developing country like China ― is viewed favorably by 68 percent of the American public and unfavorably by 23 percent.

Still, China is far from being the most negatively viewed country. That distinction belongs to Iran, with only a 9 percent favorable rating, followed by North Korea (12 percent) and Pakistan and Syria, both at 14 percent.

China and Russia are now neck-and-neck in the rankings, with Russia this year having a 44 percent favorable rating and 50 percent unfavorable. As long as the two countries continue to cooperate, as in jointly vetoing resolutions regarding Syria in the Security Council, the American public is likely to continue to view them through the same lens.

Ties between the two countries remain strong, with Hu Jintao making both his first and his last overseas trip as president to Russia. And Xi Jinping, the new Chinese leader, will continue that tradition with a trip to Russia after his inauguration as president.

China’s favorable rating in February 1989, before the Tiananmen Square crackdown, was a high 72 percent, with only 13 percent negative.

However, six months later, in the aftermath of the massacre, opinion of China in the United States had plunged, with only 34 percent of Americans viewing the country favorably against 54 percent unfavorably.

Since then, China has not once enjoyed a favorable rating in the United States, with the closest being in 2007, when a plurality of 48 percent viewed China favorably against 47 percent unfavorably. The rest had no opinion.

Of course, one survey may not tell the whole story. But the latest survey, coupled with another Gallup survey last year, shows that Americans are still concerned about human rights in China, with 69 percent voicing concern.

The Gallup survey was on Americans attitudes toward other countries, not on foreign attitudes toward the United States. However, six months ago, the Pew Research Center disclosed the latest findings of its Global Attitudes Project.

Interestingly, Pew reported that while 58 percent of Chinese had a positive view of the United States in 2010, this had dropped to 43 percent in 2012. That is to say, Chinese had exactly the same low opinion of the United States as Americans did of China.

Americans identified the biggest barrier to closer relations as a lack of mutual trust between the two countries. Other reasons are the trade imbalance, an increasing Chinese demand for natural resources and differences in political systems.

It is interesting that the American public should have reached the same conclusion as the leaders of the two countries.

When President Hu met President Barack Obama last year, he spoke of the need for the two countries to develop mutual trust, a theme also sounded by the American leader.

But trust is something that needs to be nurtured through a gradual process, especially if the two powers can work together on issues of common interest.

One issue on which both countries are working is the campaign against piracy off the coast of Somalia, where both the Chinese and American navies operate.

But now that China and the United States have both voted to condemn North Korea in the Security Council for conducting its third nuclear test, there is an opportunity for Beijing and Washington to coordinate their campaign of sanctions ― assuming China is serious about honoring its obligations.

It is by no means clear that China observed earlier Security Council sanctions against North Korea for its nuclear and ballistics programs.

Even now, the Chinese foreign minister, Yang Jiechi, continues to say that sanctions are not the solution. And Chinese officials in northeastern China have indicated that there was no plan to reduce either investment or trade with North Korea.

But if China actually implements the sanctions for which it voted, that will be a major step toward increasing mutual trust with the United States. We’ll have to wait and see.

Frank Ching is a journalist and commentator based in Hong Kong. Email the writer atfrank.ching@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter:@FrankChing1.