China tipped to increase influence in Asia over coming decade, survey suggests

 People in Japan, the United States, China and South Korea expect Beijing’s influence in Asia to expand in the next 10 years, a survey has suggested.

 About half of those polled in each country think the impact of the United States in the area is likely to remain about the same as present, rather than increase, despite US President Barack Obama’s policy of seeking a strategic rebalancing to the region, the survey said.

 The poll was conducted among 7,186 people earlier this year by think tanks from the four countries, Genron NPO of Japan, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Horizon Research Consultation Group in China and the East Asia Institute in South Korea.

 In response to a multiple-answer question on which country was likely to act responsibly in dealing with world problems such as terrorism, the environment or refugees, more than half of Japanese and Americans said Japan, the United States and the European Union would do so.

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 Meanwhile, 72.1 per cent of Chinese expected Russia to act responsibly on these issues, following 90.1 per cent for their own country.  Some 70.6 per cent of South Koreans held such expectations for China.