researching public perceptions of china · the challenges in central and eastern europe...
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The Challenges in Central and Eastern Europe
International Analyst
ZSÓFIA AGÁRDY
RESEARCHING PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF CHINA
7 November 2017
SZÁZADVÉG FOUNDATION’S RESEARCH 2016
EUROPEAN POLLS ON THE PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF CHINA
CONCLUSIONS
MORE THAN 50% OF HUNGARIANS ARE NOT FAMILIARWITH THE CHINA-CEE 16+1 FORMAT
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
China-CEE 16+1
OECD
Visegrad Cooperation (V4)
NATO
European Union (EU)
Heard about it and knows its activity
Heard about it but doesn't know its activity
Didn't hear about it
Doesn't answer
Public awareness of initiatives in Hungary, 2016
Source: Századvég Foundation
CHINESE INITIATIVES ARE POORLY PRESENTED IN THEHUNGARIAN MEDIA OUTLETS
Source: Századvég Foundation
Keyword search results referring to initiatives, 2013-2016(MTI Hungarian news agency reports)
TWO DIVERGING VIEWS ON CHINESE INVESTMENTS IN THE HUNGARIAN MEDIA
Chinese initiatives:
Opinion 1:
• Significant infrastructural investments
• Hungary’s important role from a Chinese business perspective
• Hungarian GDP may double due to fair priced Chinese loans
Opinion 2:
• Chinese investments are ineffective, overpriced and delayed
• Lack of transparency is an issue
Qualitative analysis of Hungarian news coverage, 2016(News published between 12th and 25th September)
Source: Századvég Foundation
SZÁZADVÉG FOUNDATION’S RESEARCH 2016
EUROPEAN POLLS ON THE PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF CHINA
CONCLUSIONS
ONLY FEW POLLSTERS INCLUDE PRECEPTIONS ON CHINA, BUTTHESE DOES NOT COVER ALL CEE COUNTRIES, USE DIFFERENTMETHODOLOGY AND SPORADIC
Pollsters Perceptions on China
Median X
IRI X
Balkan Barometer X
Eurobarometer X
BBC/Globescan Poll Yes, but no CEE country included
Pew Research Center Yes, 4 questions, Poland and Hungary
Association for International Affairs(AMO)
Chinfluence Project, Media and Social Network Analysis in the Czech
Republic, Hungary and Slovakia
Project 28Yes, 1 question, all CEE EU member
states
Source: edited by Századvég Foundation
IN PEW RESEARCH CENTER’S ANNUAL GLOBAL ATTITUDES SURVEYHUNGARIAN AND POLISH PUBLICS HAVE MIXED VIEWS ON CHINA
1. Please tell me if you have a favorable\unfavorable opinion of China.
2. Today, which ONE of the following do you think is the world’s leading economic power?
Source: Pew 2017 Global Attitudes, edited by Századvég Foundation
MOST SAY CHINA DOES NOT RESPECT PERSONALFREEDOMS, LOW CONFIDENCE IN XI JINPING
3. Do you think the government of China respects the personal freedoms of its people or don’t you think so?
4. Tell me how much confidence youhave in Chinese President Xi Jinping to dothe right thing regarding world affairs.
Source: Pew 2017 Global Attitudes, edited bySzázadvég Foundation
CHINFLUENCE: DESPITE PROMISES OF FUTURE CHINESE INVESTMENT, THE IMAGE OF CHINA IN CZECH MEDIA REMAINS MOSTLY NEGATIVE
• AMO’s Project between 2017-2018: mappingChinese influence in Czech Republic, Hungary,Slovakia
• Analysis of 1257 Czech media outputs,published between 2010 and June 2017
• The number of articles on China rosedramatically with the intensification of Czech-Chinese bilateral political relations
• However, the rise resulted almost entirely fromthe embedding of Chinese topics in Czechdomestic politics.
• The media often did not inform about China assuch Source:Chinfluence
PROJECT 28: CEE MEMBER STATES CONSIDER CHINA LESS INFLUENTIAL THAN EU AVERAGE
Which one of the following four countries or institutions, do you believe is the most influential in the world today?
Source: Project 28, edited by Századvég Foundation
SZÁZADVÉG FOUNDATION’S RESEARCH 2016
EUROPEAN POLLS ON THE PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF CHINA
CONCLUSIONS
NEW PUBLIC OPINION POLL IS NEEDED TO MEASURE CEE’S PERCEPTIONS EFFECTIVELY
• Research is done by others as parts of different surveys
• Ad-hoc way
• Changing mix of EU Member States
• Varying set of questions
No dataset specifically for CEE countries, results are notsystematic, quantifiable and comparable
