Discontent in China on the rise as economy slows: survey

CONCERN about China’s lacklustre economy and troubled property market has led to rising discontent among citizens, a new study shows.

According to Morning Consult’s The State of US-China Relations report, released on Wednesday (Nov 8), the level of satisfaction Chinese adults have when it comes to the way the nation is headed has fallen below even levels reached at the worst of China’s zero-Covid policy in late 2022, when public frustration spiralled into widespread protests against the government.

“These trends are worth watching as a potential early-warning signal, especially given the recent death of former Premier Li Keqiang,” the researchers wrote. “In the past, the deaths of well-liked government officials have led to outpourings of public support and even mass demonstrations,” they said, although added renewed protests appear unlikely at this stage.

That malaise – with the survey showing adults living in Asia’s biggest economy are convinced their society is riddled with disaffection and worker burnout – has seen people rank growth and social stability ahead of defence as the top priorities.

Domestic woes and the impact they are having have also translated into a softening of attitudes towards the West, Morning Consult found.

The share of Chinese adults who view the US as an enemy or unfriendly fell 9 percentage points from April to October, while the share of people interested in resolving military tensions rose 6 points, according to the study.

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The view from the US is somewhat similar, with the share of Democrats who see China as hostile falling 10 points since the start of the second quarter as US President Joe Biden’s administration makes efforts to put a floor under worsening relations.

But from China’s side, increasingly dovish sentiment towards the US has not translated into an embrace of US business. Roughly seven in 10 Chinese adults say they are still willing to boycott foreign brands, a figure that’s risen since China’s reopening at the start of 2023.

Morning Consult, which tracks geopolitical sentiment and political attitudes in countries around the world, canvassed around 1,000 adults each in the US and China monthly between mid-February last year to early October this year for the study. BLOOMBERG