How people in South Asia view other South Asian countries
Across the three South Asian countries surveyed, views of other countries in the region often vary by religion.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Across the three South Asian countries surveyed, views of other countries in the region often vary by religion.
In East and Southeast Asia, half or more of adults say that people who disagree with their government’s actions should be able to publicly criticize the government.
Large majorities in nearly all 35 nations surveyed say China has a great deal or a fair amount of influence on their country’s economic conditions.
While China prepares for a leadership change, the Chinese people believe their country is facing growing challenges, including rising prices, inequality, corruption, and consumer safety. The Chinese public is also increasingly expressing reservations about relations with the U.S.
Depending on the topic, urban residents are more likely to use mobile and online sources; suburbanites are most heavily into social media; and rural residents are more inclined to word of mouth sources
With about half of Americans saying China’s rise is a major threat to the U.S., fears about China have fed into the U.S. presidential campaign. Overall, Republicans are more concerned than Democrats about China.
Most Americans describe relations between the U.S. and China as good, but most consider China a competitor rather than an enemy or partner. When asked which country represents the greatest danger to the U.S., more Americans volunteer China than name any other country, including Iran and North Korea.
While nearly two-thirds of Americans describe relations between the U.S. and China as good, most are concerned about China’s growing economic strength. Compared with the general public, U.S. foreign affairs experts are less likely to see China as an economic threat and less concerned about Beijing’s rising power.
The world’s Muslims are united in their belief in God and the Prophet Muhammad and are bound together by such religious practices as fasting during Ramadan and almsgiving to assist the needy. But they have widely differing views about other aspects of their faith, including how important religion is to their lives, who counts as a Muslim and what practices are acceptable in Islam.
Following a year of tensions between their country and the United States, Pakistanis continue to hold highly unfavorable views of the U.S. and offer bleak assessments of the relationship between the two nations. And President Obama is held in exceedingly low regard. Additionally, over the last few years, Pakistanis have become less willing to work with the U.S. on efforts to combat extremist groups.
Seven-in-ten Japanese say their country should reduce its reliance on nuclear energy. Skepticism about nuclear power is coupled with widespread dissatisfaction with the government’s performance: eight-in-ten say the government has done a poor job dealing with the Fukushima crisis and six-in-ten disapprove of how Tokyo has handled the overall recovery from the earthquake and tsunami.