Reflecting a history marked with strife, neighboring powers China and Japan view each other with disdain, disagree on the past and worry about the future.
Despite historical and territorial frictions, people in Asia-Pacific countries tend to view their neighbors in a positive light. But they express limited confidence in the region’s most prominent national leaders.
The U.S. dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki has long divided Americans and Japanese: 56% of Americans say it was justified, versus 14% of Japanese.
While Americans say they want the U.S. to mind its own business and focus on issues at home, they remain concerned about the security threats that face the nation in 2014.