Poll: Distrust of U.S., China rises around world

Views of China worsen
Though more than half the nations polled have positive views of China, its image has widely worsened. China is seen most favorably by countries in Africa and Latin America, where its trade has recently grown, and in Asia, though two-thirds in regional rival Japan view it negatively.

Majorities in most countries think China's economic growth is good for them, with concerns expressed in Western Europe and India. Unease with Beijing's military was wider spread, with majorities in most countries surveyed expressing worries — notably neighbors Japan and South Korea, much of Europe and the United States.

• The report also found:
  Concern over environmental issues has grown more than any other world problems the poll tested. The United States was viewed as the primary culprit by far, trailed distantly by China.
• 37 percent in the United States named the environment as a major concern — less than in any other advanced nation surveyed.
• The spread of nuclear weapons and ethnic hatred were the two most often cited worries in the Middle East. For sub-Saharan Africa, it was AIDS and other diseases, and the gap between rich and poor.
• While views of American people have gotten worse in many countries, they are generally better liked than the United States itself.

The polling was conducted last April and May, in most countries by face-to-face interviews, some by telephone and some using both methods.

The number of people interviewed in each country ranged from 500 to 3,142, with the margin of sampling error ranging from plus or minus 2 to 4 percentage points. Most of the surveys were national, though in eight nations — Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Pakistan, China, India, Ivory Coast and South Africa — they were mostly or completely urban.

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