Some 80 percent of Chinese people believe the United States and Western countries are ultimately responsible for the conflict in Ukraine, according to a new study. Less than 10 percent blamed Russia for the offensive.
A survey released Wednesday by the Center for International Security and Strategic Studies at Tsinghua University found that 80.1 percent of respondents blamed the conflict on “America and the West,” While 11.7 percent blamed Ukraine, 8.2 percent believed Russia was responsible.
About 34.1% of people think “The Impact of War on Civilian Life” As the most important issue raised by the conflict, 20.9 percent cited Chinese security and economic interests in Ukraine, and 15.6 percent pointed to “Impact on Global Energy Supply.”
Survey finds most Chinese don’t trust Washington, 59.1% hold “very unfavorable” or “a bit of a disadvantage” US opinion.Only 7.8% think the same about Russia, 58.4% think their neighbors “some,” or “Very” favorable.
The Chinese government has taken a neutral stance on Ukraine, and Beijing has rejected calls from Washington to condemn or sanction Moscow over the conflict. An official statement from China’s foreign ministry pointed to NATO’s eastward expansion as the main cause of the hostilities, while Chinese officials have accused the United States and its allies of continuing to dump arms on Ukraine instead of seeking a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
Meanwhile, China has positioned itself as a potential peacemaker, releasing a 12-point “position on a political solution to the Ukraine crisis” in February. The peace plan was welcomed by Russian President Vladimir Putin but received a cold reception in Kiev and rejected by the United States and the European Union.
Relations between Beijing and Washington are currently strained, with U.S. President Joe Biden imposing restrictions on China’s semiconductor industry and saying repeatedly last year that he would intervene militarily if China invaded Taiwan. According to this, 83% of the respondents at Tsinghua University believe that the United States has the greatest influence on China’s security. Still, nearly 50 percent of respondents said they expected relations between the two superpowers to improve over the next five years.
The survey by Tsinghua University, conducted in November 2022, sampled 2,622 mainland Chinese citizens over the age of 18, split evenly between men and women.
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