Editors Note: This is a translated and edited version of an article that originally appeared in the Beijing News. The article reports the results of a recent public opinion survey, conducted both in China and Japan, on each population’s opinion – favourable or unfavourable – of the other country. It is important to note that this survey only measures each country’s feelings towards the other’s government and not toward its citizens per se. So it should not be misconstrued that Chinese people hate Japanese people, or vice versa, simply that, politically, the countries are at a contentious point.
The results of the “Seventh Sino-Japanese Relations Public Opinion Survey” were recently released in Beijing. The survey is co-sponsored by the China Daily in China and the Open Discussion non-profit organization in Japan, and seeks to measure the annual change in opinion that the citizens of each country feel towards the other. In this year’s survey approximately 1,500 individuals from both countries participated. The results show that within this past year, Sino-Japanese feelings of good will have decreased significantly: only 28.6% of the polled Chinese still held a favourable opinion of Japan, which represents a decrease of nearly 10% from last year.
Favourable opinion of Japan fell 10%
Previous reports show that since 2005, the Chinese public's “favourable opinion” of Japan has been rising, from 11.6% in 2005 to 38.3% in 2010. But this year, the boat collision in the Diaoyu Islands, and the Fukushima nuclear crisis, have caused the Chinese public to lose favourable opinion of Japan, dropping 10% from last year. However, it appears that Chinese students and teachers still have a pretty good impression of Japan: 43.1% in 2011, only down a few percentage points from 45.2% last year.
Meanwhile, on the Japanese side in 2011, 20.8% of the public and 40.6% of intellectuals still had a favourable opinion of China. However, the percentage of the general Japanese public with favourable impressions decreased 6.5% from last year, and intellectuals’ decreased 10.8%. Interestingly, it appears that the educated in each country – students, teachers and intellectuals– generally have a more favourable opinion of the other than compared to the general public.
Territorial disputes remain the biggest obstacle
People who helped conduct the survey believe that there is a certain degree of volatility that exists between these two countries, and that especially affects the general public’s opinion. The territorial disputes between China and Japan remain the biggest obstacle to developing improved Sino-Japanese relations. On the Chinese side, 58.4% of the public (and 42.8% of students and teachers) primarily blames territorial disputes on hindering the development of bilateral relations. In addition, they believe that Chinese and Japanese people generally lack a mutual trust of the other.
Finally, disputes over ocean resources (mainly offshore oil fields) affect Sino-Japanese relations. Of the Japanese surveyed, results show that 63.2% of the public and 51.2% of intellectuals primarily checked the "territorial disputes" as their main reason for holding a negative opinion of China.
Sino-Japanese relations still important
Despite the decline in "favourable opinions" this year, both sides still believe that it is important for Sino-Japanese relations to reach consensus. Of the Chinese surveyed, 83.1% of the general public and 88.6% of students and teachers believe that strong Sino-Japanese relations are "very" or "relatively" important. And on the Japanese side, 77.6% of the general public and 98% of intellectuals share this opinion.
Source: Sohu
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Keywords: Public survey of Sino-Japanese relations Diaoyu islands incident Sino-Japanese relations 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis and Sino-Japanese relations
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this article sucks............. both countries are famous for population so picking up certain class can not say china or japan or complete country feelings............
Oct 11, 2011 06:35 Report Abuse
Shining, Agree w/ u. I'm not trying to sound Nazi-like, but this proves my point too. I have to preface my comment with "not trying to sound Nazi-like" in order to say something that favors white people. My point is, white people are getting all the blame these days. It has been a trend for quite some time now, and I am sick of this reverse racism that is scattered around the globe. Really? If it is "always good to be white" then let me ask you a couple of questions. What if you had to be careful of every little thing you said, because someone who is "different looking" than you could sue you because they claim you are racist? Is this not a form of suppression? A limit on your ability to speak? What about scholarships? Scholarships based on being "white" virtually do not exist. However, scholarships for every other nationality and race are in an abundant supply compared to those offered for being "white." Have you ever considered this? Or maybe you think that all white people have money to pay for college? My point is that white people, decent people, are descriminated against in different, unconventional ways. Do you see this? There was the Affirmative action back in the 1980's in the USA that actually wrote this into the law. Please, just let the beasts of the past die and get on with life. You guys, put too much emphasis on what everyone else did in the past. We are in the process of correcting the mistakes of the past and creating equal opportunity for everyone globally. It takes time. I am better off from the guy in the diamond fields in Africa, but am I better off from the Mexican who works as a dishwasher in the USA and takes his salary home to his wife in Mexico and lives like a King? My friend, he goes by multiple names because of his illegal green card, takes a three month vacation every year and drinks coronas on the beach with his wife because he knows how to work the system. I would love to have a three month vacation of doing nothing but drinking coronas on the beach.
Oct 11, 2011 08:24 Report Abuse
Ain't that government propaganda great? 70 years after WW2 and China still tries to portray Japan as a boogeyman.
Oct 10, 2011 11:13 Report Abuse
@beaufortninja, you need to study further and find the root source of the feeling of Chinese citizens. Do you really think the Chinese are so easy to be brainwashed in the internet era? Japanese government have never made a formal apology to the countries and citizens Japan had inflicted great harm on, the war criminals are still worshiped as war heros and the Japanese politicians visit and pay tributes to these war climinals every year. Do some study before making the lazy and stupid comments.
Oct 10, 2011 15:00 Report Abuse
Checking Korean and survey done in Korea to see how the public opinion there regarding Japan and Japanese. Are Korean been brainwashed as well? The fact Japanese politicians have tried tirelessly to whitewash the crime committed by their parents/grand parents generations and revise the history book so that invation to other Asian countries was just "entering" these countries and the purpose of "entering" was to save asians from their European colonists. Learn the asian history, will you?
Oct 10, 2011 22:05 Report Abuse
Its not stupid! if The rest of the world did not forgive like China, Then the Euro would have never happened because France and Germany would still hate each other (more then they do now) Forget about England and Germany doing anything together OK they did not Apologize Officially however as we are not in grade school I see no need for them too. Your right that I was not a victim but neither were you. The Point is let it go Holy cow they did not do anything to you as just Like you They were not born yet Furthermore the Country is now under different government. It is time to forgive this entire concept of: "50 years ago one person that you never meet but could have been related to, you killed a person I never meet and might be related to so you need to apologize" Is not only stupid it is very short sided and that is why China will never be a true power as they refuse to get their head out of their "past"
Oct 11, 2011 03:28 Report Abuse
Have Japanese done what German has done? Have German whorship the war criminals in a public memorial every year like what Japanese have been doing in the Yasukuni Shrine?
Oct 12, 2011 21:56 Report Abuse
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