International survey reflects rise of China’s power and influence, and some USA issues.

Chinese Submarine (Yuan-class SSK)

A new international survey, involving 39 countries, sheds some light on how China, as well as the USA, is being viewed:

18 June 2013

A new public opinion survey indicates that Chinese and American attitudes towards each others’ countries have dimmed in the past two years. The Pew Global Survey, released Thursday, shows that only 37 percent of Americans expressed a positive view of China, down from 51 percent two years ago.

The situation in China is not much better, where just 40 percent of people reported viewing the United States in a positive light…

In the United States, as well as in other countries surveyed in the poll, many think that China will eventually replace the United States as the world’s dominant superpower, and such perceptions appear to have negatively impacted China’s rankings. ..

Xie says that territorial disputes among China and its neighbors are also partly responsible for the way Chinese people perceive the outer world, including the United States.

“When you look at China’s problems with Japan, China’s problems with the Philippines, I think there is this growing belief that America is actively trying to limit the rise of China, trying to strengthen its own alliances in Asia so to edge off against any potential Chinese threat,” he says.

Xie also points out another observation of the survey: that most Chinese people believe their country should be more respected around the world.

He says this finding shows that Chinese people would like other countries to behave more deferentially towards China.
“In their minds [this means that] when China is engaged in these territorial disputes, these countries should not be so confrontational. So they should really back off.”

The Pew Global Survey polled over 37,000 people among 39 countries, including more than 3,000 people in China and more than one thousand in the United States. http://www.voanews.com/content/poll-many-see-china-overtaking-us-as-top-superpower/1704167.html

China’s economic power is on the rise, and many think it will eventually supplant the United States as the world’s dominant superpower. However, China’s increasing power has not led to more positive ratings for the People’s Republic…

Across the nations surveyed, a median of 70% say the American government respects the personal freedoms of its people. In contrast, a median of only 36% say this about China…

China’s growing military strength is viewed with trepidation in neighboring Japan, South Korea, Australia and the Philippines…

By a wide margin, the Japanese give China its worst ratings – only 5% express a positive view. Territorial disputes have increased tensions between these two historic rivals over the past few years, and 82% of Japanese describe these disputes as a big or very big problem.

Territorial frictions with China are also considered major problems in South Korea and the Philippines, although unlike Japan, South Koreans and Filipinos are divided in their overall assessments of China. Even though roughly seven-in-ten Australians (71%) are concerned about the growing strength of the People’s Liberation Army…

This trend has been especially apparent among some of America’s closest allies in Western Europe. Today, for example, 53% in Britain say China is the leading economy; just 33% name the U.S. Roughly six-in-ten Germans (59%) say China occupies the top position, while only 19% think the U.S. is the global economic leader (14% say it is the EU)…

In 23 of 39 nations, majorities or pluralities say China either already has replaced or eventually will replace the U.S. as the top superpower…Strong majorities in the Philippines (90%), Japan (82%), South Korea (77%) and Indonesia (62%) think that such territorial disputes with China are a big problem for their country. http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/07/18/americas-global-image-remains-more-positive-than-chinas/

Before getting to the subject of China, I should perhaps mention that I believe that the current revelations of espionage by the USA on its citizens and others has damaged the USA’s reputation and this is not reflected in the survey results as the survey data was mainly collected in March and April 2013, though the results were not released until 7/18/13. Thus, less people likely now trust the USA or believe that it has as a high of respect for individual liberties that the poll concluded. The espionage by the USA is likely to impact it and have prophetic ramifications (watch Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power?).

Interestingly, many in the USA are not trusting it either and noticing its decline. Here is a report related to former US President Carter:

One of Germany’s biggest newspapers – Spiegel – reports:

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter … in the wake of the NSA spying scandal criticized the American political system. “America has no functioning democracy,” Carter said Tuesday at a meeting of the “Atlantic Bridge” in Atlanta.

Many other high-level U.S. officials have also warned that the U.S. is no longer a democracy.

Carter also said that the moral authority of of the U.S. has sharply declined due to excessive restriction of civil rights.

And – like many other top American officials – Carter also said that Edward Snowden’s revelations do not harm our national security, but are “useful”. http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/07/former-president-and-commander-in-chief-america-is-no-longer-a-democracy.html

As far as China goes, while it has grow tremendously economically, one of the things that most Westerners do not realize is that China has a system that prevents its citizens from agrarian areas from having the same rights as those in urban areas. It is called the hukou. Here is more information about that:

The hukou
Through a rigorous and rigid household registration system designed to control the movement of China’s 1.3 billion people, the central government classifies all its citizens as either city dwellers or rural peasants. The registration, also known in Chinese as hukou, determines not only a citizen’s residence but also what kind of social services individuals are eligible for…In Beijing, which has an estimated 5 million migrant workers, none of these people are allowed to obtain state-sponsored health care or schooling if their hukou is registered in their hometowns—which most likely it is. As a result, their children—many of whom are born in the Chinese capital—can only attend privately-run and unapproved schools. (Mong A, Gu B. In Beijing, 40,000 students stranded. MSNBC, August 19, 2011. http://behindthewall.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/08/19/7413538-in-beijing-40000-students-stranded?lite)

Even people who move from agrarian regions to the cities, still are registered as agrarian/rural and do not get the same rights or even education for their children. This disparity, combined with severe pollution, corruption, and a host of other problems, will affect China more than most realize.

Another issue is that there have been numerous reports that China has had intimidated other nations as well out on the seas.

China is becoming a military distraction for the USA and others, and while its threat appears carnally valid, the reality is that China is not, of itself, prophesied to takeover the USA.

China is beginning to show some of its problems despite the government’s attempts to keep such matters internal. Other problems are expected. That does not mean that China does not have ambitious military and political goals, it is just that according to biblical prophecy, it will not attain all of them (though it may end up with Australia, despite USA and Australian efforts to stop that–see, for example, Australia accepts US troops, China not pleased).

And even though China will have some prominence in the end times (and will fairly certainly be one of the “kings of the east” of Revelation 16:12 and provide many soldiers in the 200,000,000 man army of Revelation 9:13-21), it will not end up as the top economic force in the 21st century. Europe will.

But partially because of increasing Chinese economic and military influence, the USA will apparently expend so much energy preparing for military possibilities involving China that it will not be prepared for what is coming out of Europe. China is affecting the USA, the world is watching, but the situation will not end up as much of the world or those in the USA believe that it will.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for China? Is it a “King of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where?
Korea in Prophecy, Any Witness? Where did the Korean people come from? Does God have a plan for the Koreans? Is Korea mentioned in any prophecies? Will Koreans be among the first in the Kingdom of God? Here is a machine-translated link to that article in Korean: 한국의 언어로 : 한국 예언, 모든 증인에?; here is a link to that article in Mandarin Chinese: 在预言中的韩国：有任何证人吗？
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Any Witness? Where did the Japanese people come from? Have they had any witness?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: Prophecy Japan in prophecy. What is prophesied for Japan? Will God save the Japanese?
Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands? What does the Bible prophesy about them?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? A video of possible interest may be Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power? Various allegations have surfaced about the United States government spying on its own citizens as well as its supposed allies in the European Union. Whether or not all the espionage allegations are true, and the main ones have not been publicly denied by the government of the USA, the reality is that this does have prophetic ramifications and will help the Beast of Revelation. This video provides quotes from the Bible showing how this is so. The USA is placing itself in a position to be taken over and its response to the allegations will make it easier for the Europeans to do so.
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves?
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future.
Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power? Various allegations have surfaced about the United States government spying on its own citizens as well as its supposed allies in the European Union. Whether or not all the espionage allegations are true, and the main ones have not been publicly denied by the government of the USA, the reality is that this does have prophetic ramifications and will help the Beast of Revelation. This video provides quotes from the Bible showing how this is so. The USA is placing itself in a position to be taken over and its response to the allegations will make it easier for the Europeans to do so.
Protestant and Church of God views of the United States in Bible Prophecy Is the USA mentioned in Bible prophecy? Some Protestants say yes, while others say no. What does the Bible really teach? Learn the truth about this.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe?