What do Asians think about the United States?

Pew Center survey reveals Asian attitudes about their own lives, their nations, the world, and the United States. New Asia Institute pages summarize findings on Asia.

What Asians Think homepage

The information below has been extracted from "What the World Thinks in 2002," a publication of the The Pew Global Attitudes Project. The report may be downloaded by clicking here. The precise questions and the full data compilation is available here. Both are in .pdf format which requires Adobe Acrobat. To get a free copy of Acrobat, click here.

This survey was conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press in collaboration with a number of survey organizations around the world. 38,000 people in 44 nations were surveyed. Surveys of 11,820 people were conducted 9 Asian nations. In presenting their findings, the Pew team groups Pakistan with Middle East/Conflict Area nations rather than with other Asian nations. The surveys were conducted between July and October, 2002. In all but one of the Asian nations, the survey was conducted face to face with adults over age 18. In Japan the survey was conducted by telephone. The last section of the report offers details about the research process.

General View of the US

Opinion of the United States -- percent indicating a favorable, unfavorable or don't know/no comment opinion. The question was not permitted in China.

	Favorable	Unfavorable	Don't Know/ Refuse to answer
Bangladesh	45	47	9
China	N/A	N/A	N/A
India	54	27	19
Indonesia	61	36	3
Japan	72	26	2
Pakistan	10	69	20
Philippines	90	7	3
South Korea	53	44	3
Vietnam	71	27	3

Few Pakistanis have a positive image of the United States. Among surveyed nations, only a smaller percentage of Egyptians (6%) felt positively about the U.S. Slightly more Pakistanis felt positively about Americans (17%) than they did about the United States (10%).

US Foreign Policy

Does US foreign policy consider others? Do you favor or oppose the US-led war on terrorism? Again, this question was not permitted in China.

	US foreign policy considers others		US-led war on terrorism
	Yes	No	Favor	Oppose
Bangladesh	15	40	28	46
China	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
India	38	31	65	10
Indonesia	41	49	31	64
Japan	36	59	61	32
Pakistan	23	36	20	45
Philippines	74	15	82	17
South Korea	23	73	24	72
Vietnam	80	8	62	29

Economic Inequality

Do US policies increase the global economic divide? This question was not permitted in China.

	US policies increase the gap between rich and poor countries
Bangladesh	41
China	N/A
India	46
Indonesia	53
Japan	69
Pakistan	39
Philippines	33
South Korea	67
Vietnam	63

American Ways

Is the spread of American ideas and customs good or bad? The question was not permitted in China.

	Good	Bad	Don't Know/ Refuse to Answer
Bangladesh	14	76	10
China	N/A	N/A	N/A
India	24	54	22
Indonesia	20	73	7
Japan	49	35	15
Pakistan	2	81	17
Philippines	58	36	6
South Korea	30	62	8
Vietnam	33	60	7

Americans and Democracy

Do you like or dislike American ideas about democracy? This question was not permitted in China.

	Like	Dislike	Don't Know/ Refuse to Answer
Bangladesh	31	31	38
China	N/A	N/A	N/A
India	36	27	37
Indonesia	52	40	8
Japan	62	27	11
Pakistan	9	60	31
Philippines	69	25	6
South Korea	58	37	5
Vietnam	68	24	8

Popular Culture

Do you like or dislike American popular culture?

	Like	Dislike	Don't Know/ Refuse to Answer
Bangladesh	20	69	10
China	55	36	9
India	24	46	30
Indonesia	59	40	1
Japan	74	18	8
Pakistan	4	79	17
Philippines	70	26	3
South Korea	53	38	9
Vietnam	45	52	3

Pakistanis have the greatest disdain for American popular culture. Bangladesh, India, and Jordan occupy second, third and fourth place among those surveyed in their dislike for American popular culture. Only Canadians and the British exceeded Japanese appreciation for American popular culture. Poland and the Philippines tied for fourth in their favorable attitude towards American popular culture.

What Asians Think homepage

For more information about the survey, contact the Pew Center:

The Pew Research Center for The People & The Press
1150 18th Street, NW
Suite 975
Washington, DC 20036

Telephone: (202) 293-3126
Fax: (202) 293-2569

Web: www.people-press.org

Asia Institute

What do Asians think?
Pew Center survey reveals Asian attitudes about their own lives, their nations, the world, and the United States. New Asia Institute pages summarize findings on Asia.

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