Indians softest on China among Quad countries: Survey

Beijing, July 28: Indians don’t appear to be as negative about China’s foreign policy and its behavior on the international stage as the people of its Quad partner countries polled recently, and, remarkably, that is despite violent border skirmishes with the Chinese military in recent years including the one in Galwan Valley that caused the death of 20 Indian soldiers and possible loss of territory. A little more than a third of Indians polled for a global study by Pew Research Center — 67% said they had negative feelings about China foreign policy and global role, which was way below the disapproval levels in Quad partners countries Japan, Australia, and the United States — with 87 per cent, 87 per cent and 83 per cent respectively. People of high-income countries such as those of the Quad partner countries and Sweden, Canada, France, and the Netherlands also showed a higher negative feeling about China – with a median of 74 per cent – than the middle and lower-income countries. Indians tied with the larger cohort’s median of 67 per cent, with countries like Nigeria (15 per cent), Kenya (24 per cent), Indonesia (25 per cent), Mexico (33 per cent), and Argentina (34 per cent) showing really low levels of negativity. India’s BRICS partners South Africa and Brazil also did not show much antipathy for the fourth partner of the grouping China, with 40 and 48 per cent, respectively. The survey found that 57 per cent of the respondents believe China interferes in the affairs of other countries; 71 per cent said China does not contribute to peace and stability around the world; and 76 per cent felt that China does not take into consideration the interests of their respective countries.