‘China’s support lauded’

Islamabad : Almost all Pakistanis have a very positive view of China and its consistent support to Pakistan and they consider China as their trusted friend, a survey revealed.

Respondents are drawn from all regions of Pakistan and included a representative sample of age groups and genders. The same questions have also been asked in many other countries but Pakistanis gave the most positive answers.

The first survey question asks what first comes to people’s minds when thinking of China. The most common answers, as the word cloud reveals, were ‘friend’, ‘best friend,’ ‘good friend,’ and ‘trusted friend.’ As part of the Sinophone Borderlands public opinion survey in Pakistan in June 2022, over 1,200 respondents were asked two open-ended questions about their perception of China.

Also, China is seen as helpful and supportive of Pakistan. The connection between the two countries is described as a ‘brotherhood’ and many people celebrate it by saying ‘long live Pakistan-China friendship’, according to Gwadar Pro on Friday

The second question asks whether people’s general view of China get better or worse during the previous three years and why. A majority of the respondents (85pc) gave a positive answer.

A majority focused mostly on China’s support to Pakistan in the form of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Chinese investment, or China’s COVID-19 support.

In particular, the positive attitude correlates with Chinese investments flowing into the country under the label of CPEC, which was frequently mentioned by the respondents. Transport and energy infrastructure, so badly needed in Pakistan, have been built. New power plants have added energy to Pakistan’s power grid. Roads and railways are being constructed.