More Indians see Chinese economic growth as 'bad'

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SILICON VALLEY, July 5 (PTI): Even as India and China aspire to become Asian economic superpowers, a new survey has found that an increasing number of Indians don't think very well of the neighbouring communist giant.
According to the survey by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, while China's image is generally positive in Asia, it has grown somewhat more negative in India with 43 per cent expressing negative opinion about China compared to 20 per cent in 2002.
Similarly, slightly more Indians see a growing Chinese economy as a bad thing than a good thing for their country (48 per cent vs 42 per cent).
This represents a shift in opinion from two years ago, when a 53 per cent majority of Indians saw China's economic growth as a benefit to their nation, and just 36 per cent a problem.
The 47-nation survey on global opinions also showed there is a growing trust-deficit and lack of confidence in dominant nations and their leaders from the side of the populations of other nations. Anti-Americanism, even though it is relatively less in India, continues to be extensive in other parts, while the image of China has slipped significantly among the publics of other major nations, as per the study "Global Unease with Major Powers".
In India, US remains generally popular with roughly six-in-ten people having a favourable opinion of America. However, only 49 per cent of Indians support "war on terror", with 56 per cent of respondents favouring removing troops from Iraq, and 49 per cent favouring removing troops from Afghanistan.
In 2002, the number of Indians backing US "war on terror" stood at 79 per cent.
Besides, the US also mostly has a positive image in countries like South Korea and Japan, with its favourability rising 12 percentage points in South Korea, since a low point in 2003, when only 46 per cent gave favourable marks.
Although opinion about Russia is mixed, confidence in its President, Vladimir Putin, has declined sharply. "In fact, the Russian leader's negatives have soared to the point that they mirror the nearly worldwide lack of confidence in George W Bush," says the report released last week.
Andrew Kohut, President of the Pew Research Centre and Director of the Pew Global Attitudes Project, cautions that "this is not a matter of anti-Americanism taking over the globe."
Anti-American sentiments might have deepened overall, but they haven't widened, with Africa and even Latin America showing a mostly positive opinion of Uncle Sam.
The US draws so much of the world's ire in part because of its "war on terror" and the support has dropped worldwide.
Opposition to the US and NATO operations in Iraq and Afghanistan is also growing, with at least half of those surveyed in 43 of the 47 countries favouring removing troops from Iraq.
Similarly, in 32 of 47 countries, majorities want troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible.
At the same time, China's expanding economic and military power is triggering considerable anxiety. Large majorities in many countries think that China's growing military might is a bad thing, and the publics of many advanced nations are increasingly concerned about the impact of China's economic power on their own countries.
Favourable views of China have fallen in Western Europe particularly in Spain, Germany and France.
In South Korea, not only is concern about China's military growth widespread (89 per cent bad thing), but a 60 per cent majority also sees China's economic growth as bad as well.
Russia and its president also are unpopular in many countries of the world. But criticisms of that nation and its leader are sharpest in Western Europe where many citizens worry about overdependence on the Russian energy supply.
The Pew survey finds a general increase in the percentage of people citing pollution and environmental problems as a top global threat.
Worries have risen sharply in Latin America and Europe, as well as in Japan and India.
Many people blame the United States and to a lesser extent China for these problems and look to Washington to do something about them.