Foreign and Military Affairs

Countries seeing each other in a new light: Poll

By Qin Jize (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-16 07:07

Countries seeing each other in a new light: Poll

BEIJING - Chinese economic development is not a threat but a great advantage to Japan, because the rapidly growing economy has prompted both countries to see each other in a new light.

In the latest poll, about half the Japanese respondents viewed the Chinese economy as a benefit for Japan while 33.8 percent still hold negative opinion.

In China, 65.8 percent of the general public regard Japanese economic development as conducive and necessary for China's economy, while about 30 percent of respondents thought it a threat.

Meanwhile, more than 80 percent of the Chinese respondents and 56.8 percent of the Japanese respondents expressed their optimism in the future of the Chinese economy.

And almost half of the people from both countries think that the Chinese economy will keep on growing and will stand side-by-side with the United States in 2050.

Economists say history and geography have linked China and Japan for centuries and Japan does not need to fear its neighbor.

China became Japan's largest trading partner in 2006, and China-bound exports were among the first to show signs of recovery in the recent Japanese slump.

Kenichi Kubo, a senior staff member at Tokyo Marine Asset Management, said in his latest article that China is currently shifting from a manufacturing center to a consumer and export market for Japan.

"The next stage is for China to be an essential part of Japan's tourist market," Kubo said, referring to Tokyo's recent efforts to relax visa requirements for Chinese citizens and attract an increasing number of big-spending Chinese tourists to help Japan recover from its prolonged economic downturn.

Zhou Yongsheng, professor with China University of Foreign Affairs said the two countries are mutually complementary in economy and closely linked in trade.

"The considerable disparity in their resources, technological levels and labor costs highlights enterprises' comparative advantages and Japan's reliance on the Chinese market," he said.

In another development, the survey also showed that more than 50 percent of the Chinese student respondents think that Japan will become a country with a moderate-level economy but with strong global influence.