HONG KONG, Oct 24: More than 40 per cent of Asians believe the world would be a better place if the United States was less powerful, a survey published on Wednesday found.
The figure — 41 per cent — almost matches the 45 per cent of Americans that believe China should have less influence on world affairs, according to the annual Voice of the People survey by pollsters Gallup International and TNS.
Only 20 per cent of Asians believe the United States should have more power.
Worldwide US popularity has also fallen dramatically, with only 26 per cent believing it should have more power, down from 37 per cent in the 2006 survey.
The research also found that 35 per cent of people believe the world would be a better place if the European Union had more influence, the highest figure, while only 14 per cent think a stronger Iran would be beneficial.
The Middle Eastern country was the most unpopular in the worldwide survey with 39 per cent of those surveyed believing its influence should lessen.
Nearly three in 10 of those surveyed also believed that India should increase its influence.
Three quarters of Hong Kong citizens surveyed thought China should have more influence, while the Philippines (42 per cent) and Japan (39 per cent) both thought China’s power should be decreased.
The Philippines was the country that most supported an increase in US influence, with 41 per cent arguing it would be beneficial.
The survey, released to coincide with United Nations’ Day, sampled more than 57,000 people in 52 countries, not including mainland China.—AFP
