Poll: Most in China happy with country's direction

[ckramer]

Source: CD

As they eagerly await the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese people express extraordinary levels of satisfaction with the direction their country is heading and with their nation's economy, ranking first in both measures among 24 countries, according to a survey released Tuesday.

The poll also finds almost universal optimism about the Olympics.

Eighty-six percent of the Chinese surveyed said they were content with the country's direction, up from 48 percent in 2002, 25 percentage points higher than the next highest country, Australia. And 82 percent of Chinese were satisfied with their national economy, up from 52 percent in 2002.

These findings are revealed in the 2008 survey by the Pew Research Center's Pew Global Attitudes Project. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 3,212 adults in China between March 28 and April 19, 2008.

The poll also finds the Chinese as upbeat about the Olympics as they are about their national economy. Fully 96% believe China's hosting of the games will be a success and 93% say the Olympics will help the country's image around the world.

Most Chinese not only see the Olympics as important for their country, they also feel a personal connection to the games. Roughly eight-in-ten (79%) say the Olympics are important to them personally, and 90% feel this way in the host city, Beijing.

The Chinese public is also confident that their country's athletes will shine - 75% say the Chinese team will win the most medals, while only 15% believe the US, which brought home the most medals from the 2004 Summer Olympics, will win the medal count.




Read more: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-07/23/content_6871030.htm

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How reliable are the poll numbers in face-to-face interviews ?

[Virginia Dare]

1. Totalitarianism ROCKS!...

I'm sure the people polled felt free to express their true opinions...:sarcasm:

[groovedaddy]

2. Yep...not satisfied? Off to the re-indoctrination camp! You'll never complain again! n.t

[nels25]

3. Is it just me or are these games

taking on a slight smell of the 1936 games in Berlin (absent the overt Bigotry of those games).

IMHO these games are not going to be all sweetness and light as the Chinese hope for.

Light the torch in approximately 2 week time and we shall see.

[Virginia Dare]

8. Yes, this is all a great big show for the PRC party leaders...

but yet, if western leaders boycott them, they are accused "politicizing" the games. GMAFB!

[Coventina]

11. Actually, you can include the overt bigotry as well.

I heard part of a report on the BBC's "The World" about how the Chinese government assumes that all black people are drug dealers.

There have been recent "clean-up" efforts in Beijing's African community where the police will arrest people for simply being black. The report concluded with questions about what this may mean for African-Americans attending the games.

[nels25]

13. Oh for crying out loud!!

I had not heard about that.

Now it makes the analogy to the 36 games even more accurate.

I hope the history after those games does not repeat it's self.

[AndyTiedye]

14. They've Got the Bigotry Too

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/19/no-blacks-mongolians-allo_n_113838.html

Hong Kong's English newspaper The South China Morning Post reported Friday that Chinese authorities have issued a secret ban on blacks, Mongolians and other "social undesirables" from Beijing's bars during the Olympics.

As the content on South China Morning Post's site is for subscribers only, here is an excerpt of the article c/o the Beijing drinking blog Beijing Boyce:

Beijing authorities are secretly planning to ban black people and others it considers social undesirables from entering the city's bars during the Olympic Games, a move that would contradict the official slogan, "One World, One Dream".

Bar owners near the Workers' Stadium in central Beijing say they have been forced by Public Security Bureau officials to sign pledges agreeing not to let black people enter their premises....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3649612

[WriteDown]

4. Not surprising....

Despite the totalitarianism, Chinese nationalism is incredible.

[Flagg]

5. A scary comment from a Chinese guy posted on another forum. This is real.

Originally Posted by oliver999 View Post

anyway, welcome to beijing olympic!
i dont need more freedom and demoncracy, why does let everyone has the right to make their own speech? those leaders of CCCP are much more clever and experiency than me, they can make right choice of how this coutry heading to. let me enjoy my own life.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=662452&page=4

That's some Orwellian shit, right there.

[MessiahRp]

7. That almost reads as snark

It sure sounds sarcastic at least.

Rp

[L0oniX]

10. Sounds like what our government wants us to think like.

[Xithras]

15. I've met a few Chinese H1B's that basically said the same thing.

Many educated Chinese don't feel that there's anything wrong with their system of government. Everyone is fed, everyone has a roof over their heads, and the educated people live fairly well. As one told me flat out, "You Americans always complain about the freedoms we don't have in China, but we are happy without those freedoms. We are free enough to live our lives the way we want, and that's all we need. If we fight for more, we'll just lose what we already have."

There's a real "don't rock the boat" attitude among many Chinese.

[EnviroBat]

6. I'm always happiest about my government

and the direction of my country, WHEN THERE'S A RIFLE POINTED AT THE BACK OF MY HEAD!

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RethugAssKicker]

12. All blacks should rush to the bars...and test their asses !!