Why do Singapore and Malaysia have a more favourable view of China than the US?
- The two Southeast Asian states were outliers in a poll in which 25,000 respondents from 19 countries held mostly unfavourable views of Beijing
- Some ethnic Chinese may view the Asian power as being culturally significant, while a respect for ‘strong’ leaders may also be why Singaporeans and Malaysians tend to think better of Xi, analysts say
In a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center released at the end of June, Singapore, followed closely by Malaysia, was found to have the most favourable views of China. Some 67 per cent of Singaporeans and 60 per cent of Malaysians polled viewed China favourably, while an overwhelming majority of respondents from both states said their country had good ties with China. The results stood in stark contrast to other countries polled, many of whom held unfavourable views of China compared to the United States.
From China’s economy to President Xi Jinping’s leadership, Singaporean business executive Andre Han believes Beijing performs better on all fronts than Washington.
The 63-year-old says Xi has created jobs, brought prosperity to the Asian superpower, and thinks the projects under the Belt and Road Initiative – Beijing’s global infrastructure and connectivity programme – is a sign of the country’s economic prowess.
“China has prospered, it has built new railways that have not only beaten but also left the United States far behind,” says Han, an executive vice-president of a medical devices distribution company, whose career has taken him from Malaysia to the Maldives and Madagascar. “The US has always been a domineering force, constantly telling other countries what to do. They have started wars and invaded Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Han’s brighter impression of China in comparison to the US aligns with a majority of his compatriots surveyed recently by the US-based Pew Research Center, which found that respondents from Singapore and Malaysia had the most favourable views of China among 19 countries polled.
Some 67 per cent of Singaporeans and 60 per cent of Malaysians said they saw China in a positive light. In comparison, 51 per cent of Singaporeans viewed the US favourably, while only 44 per cent of Malaysians had positive views towards the US – the lowest among all the countries polled.