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Many Europeans See China as Next Global Power
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Adults in three European countries predict that China will become a dominant world power in the near future, according to a poll by Harris Interactive published in the Financial Times. 47 per cent of respondents in France, 45 per cent of respondents in Spain, and 38 per cent of respondents in Italy pick China out of a list of six different entities.
In Britain and Germany, three-in-ten respondents believe the United States will be the dominant force in the year 2020, with China as the choice for at least 25 per cent. Two-in-five Americans believe their country will be a global power 12 years from now.
Less than 15 per cent of respondents in all six countries surveyed see Europe, India, Russia or Japan becoming the next global power.
In 1949, the People’s Republic of China was established as a one-party state. In the 1980s, the ruling Communist Party of China (ZGD) loosened a series of authoritarian restrictions and allowed private enterprise for the first time in decades. The country currently has one of the world’s fastest growing economies, becoming a global exporter and a very attractive venue for foreign investors.
On Nov. 13, Fudan University’s Shen Dingli referred to China’s path towards becoming a global power, saying, "In the first place, China is endowed with a large territory and a giant population. The cultural emphasis on education has helped, over the centuries, produce remarkable levels of knowledge and innovation. (...) Beijing attaches great importance to its relations with major powers, partnering with America, Russia, the European Union and Japan. It makes persistent efforts for improving relations with neighbours, focusing on Russia, Japan, India, Southeast Asia and Central Asia and so on."
Polling Data
Thinking now of the future and the year 2020, which, if any, of the following countries or regions will be the dominant world power?
|
BRI |
FRA |
ITA |
ESP |
GER |
USA |
|
|
United States |
32% |
19% |
27% |
23% |
30% |
40% |
|
China |
28% |
47% |
38% |
45% |
25% |
24% |
|
Europe |
4% |
6% |
7% |
12% |
14% |
4% |
|
India |
3% |
7% |
10% |
1% |
4% |
2% |
|
Russia |
3% |
2% |
1% |
1% |
3% |
1% |
|
Japan |
1% |
4% |
4% |
7% |
3% |
2% |
|
Other |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
|
None of these |
2% |
-- |
1% |
1% |
4% |
2% |
|
Not sure |
26% |
13% |
10% |
10% |
17% |
24% |
Source: Harris Interactive / Financial Times
Methodology: Online interviews with 6,590 adults in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United States, conducted from Nov. 1 to Nov. 14, 2007. Margin of error for individual countries is 3 per cent.