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Public Opinion in a Rising Power: National and International Orientations among the Chinese Public

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2023

Yida Zhai Open the ORCID record for Yida Zhai [Opens in a new window]
Yida Zhai*
Affiliation:
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
*
*Corresponding author. Email: yidazhai@hotmail.com
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Abstract

China's involvement in the world and its economic modernization are expected to lead to its democratization and adherence to the liberal international order. However, after several decades of development, the authoritarian system remains resilient, and China's foreign policy appears to be more assertive. The limited nature of scholarship on the public opinion in a rising power has prevented a better understanding of China's domestic changes and foreign policy. This study seeks to unveil the micro-foundations of the unexpected trajectory of China's rise by investigating the public's national and international orientations using nationwide representative survey data. The results show that international orientations had a very limited effect on Chinese popular attitudes toward domestic politics and foreign relations, while national orientations strengthened public support for the authoritarian system and China's assertive foreign policy. Intergenerational variations existed in public opinion in China, with the Xi generation showing a different pattern of political values than the preceding generations.

Keywords

China's risenational and international orientationsattitudes toward democracypolitical reformpolitical trustthe US influence
Type
Article
Information
Journal of East Asian Studies , Volume 23 , Issue 1 , March 2023 , pp. 71 - 94
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the East Asia Institute

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