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China Bests Japan in Americans’ Eyes - Japan Real Time - WSJ
"China Bests Japan in Americans’ Eyes
June 13, 2011, 8:42 PM JST
By Anna Novick
It’s official, at least as far as a Japanese government survey is concerned: Americans see China, rather than Japan, as their most important partner in Asia.
A man in an American flag outfit watched the ceremony of lowering the flag in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, in May. (Getty Images)
According to results from the 2011 edition of an annual opinion poll commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, some 39% of “general public” respondents selected China as “the most important partner of the U.S. in Asia,” while 31% chose Japan.
While the 2010 version of the poll showed the Asian rivals tied with a 44% rating, the 2011 numbers, compiled from interviews with 1,200 citizens from February to March, represent a stark change compared with just three years ago. In 2008, 43% of the general public selected Japan as the most important partner for the U.S., while 34% plumped for China.
The result of the poll, which the ministry commissioned the Gallup Organization to conduct, is part of a broader consultation on what the public, and opinion leaders, in the U.S. make of Japan. As well as the general public segment, pollsters also interviewed 200 opinion leaders for a separate set of results.
The opinion leaders’ view of which country in Asia is the most important partner for the U.S. offers even more emphatic confirmation that trade relations, usually cited as the main reason for a preference for China, are increasingly carrying more weight than political or general ties with the U.S., usually cited as a reason for choosing Japan. Over the past three years’ surveys, opinion leaders’ preference for Japan has nearly halved, to 28% from 54%, while their preference for China increased to 46% from 38%. The results in part reflect China officially overtaking Japan as the world’s second-biggest economy earlier this year.
In slightly better news for Tokyo, the ministry said, “The percentage who perceived Japan to be a dependable ally was 84% among the general public and was 90% among opinion leaders, high figures similar to last year’s poll.” And 77% of the general public and 87% of opinion leaders viewed cooperation between Japan and the U.S. as “excellent” or “good,” the ministry said.
Other crumbs of comfort from the survey: Among the general public, Japan was viewed as “a country with great traditions and culture” (97%); “a country with a strong economy and high technology” (91%); “a country which launches new cultures such as animation, fashion, and cuisine” (88%) and “a country with beautiful nature” (85%).
–Kenneth Maxwell contributed to this article."
[Note: Thank you to "Kobo-Daishi" for the article link.]
"China Bests Japan in Americans’ Eyes
June 13, 2011, 8:42 PM JST
By Anna Novick
It’s official, at least as far as a Japanese government survey is concerned: Americans see China, rather than Japan, as their most important partner in Asia.
A man in an American flag outfit watched the ceremony of lowering the flag in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, in May. (Getty Images)
According to results from the 2011 edition of an annual opinion poll commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, some 39% of “general public” respondents selected China as “the most important partner of the U.S. in Asia,” while 31% chose Japan.
While the 2010 version of the poll showed the Asian rivals tied with a 44% rating, the 2011 numbers, compiled from interviews with 1,200 citizens from February to March, represent a stark change compared with just three years ago. In 2008, 43% of the general public selected Japan as the most important partner for the U.S., while 34% plumped for China.
The result of the poll, which the ministry commissioned the Gallup Organization to conduct, is part of a broader consultation on what the public, and opinion leaders, in the U.S. make of Japan. As well as the general public segment, pollsters also interviewed 200 opinion leaders for a separate set of results.
The opinion leaders’ view of which country in Asia is the most important partner for the U.S. offers even more emphatic confirmation that trade relations, usually cited as the main reason for a preference for China, are increasingly carrying more weight than political or general ties with the U.S., usually cited as a reason for choosing Japan. Over the past three years’ surveys, opinion leaders’ preference for Japan has nearly halved, to 28% from 54%, while their preference for China increased to 46% from 38%. The results in part reflect China officially overtaking Japan as the world’s second-biggest economy earlier this year.
In slightly better news for Tokyo, the ministry said, “The percentage who perceived Japan to be a dependable ally was 84% among the general public and was 90% among opinion leaders, high figures similar to last year’s poll.” And 77% of the general public and 87% of opinion leaders viewed cooperation between Japan and the U.S. as “excellent” or “good,” the ministry said.
Other crumbs of comfort from the survey: Among the general public, Japan was viewed as “a country with great traditions and culture” (97%); “a country with a strong economy and high technology” (91%); “a country which launches new cultures such as animation, fashion, and cuisine” (88%) and “a country with beautiful nature” (85%).
–Kenneth Maxwell contributed to this article."
[Note: Thank you to "Kobo-Daishi" for the article link.]
