Foreign media: A survey shows that China's popularity among Arab post-00s exceeds that of the United States. | China | Arab young people's favorability | Polls | Foreign media

According to recent reports from multiple foreign media, a survey targeting the post-2000s generation in Arab countries has found that China's popularity among young Arab people has surpassed that of the United States. In addition, nearly two-thirds of the respondents also expressed support for the United States withdrawing from the region. Analysis suggests that this highlights the desire of young people in the region to see a more independent and autonomous Arab world.

China's popularity surpasses that of the United States

Recently, Dubai company ASDAA BCW conducted a survey of 3600 young Arab people in 53 cities across 18 Arab countries. The respondents are aged between 18 and 24 years old.

The results of this 2023 Arab Youth Survey show that 80% of young people surveyed believe that China is an "ally" of their country, while 72% believe that the United States is an "ally".

In the eyes of young Arab people, China ranks second in popularity among non Arab countries, while the United States ranks seventh. Türkiye ranked first, with 82% of respondents believing that Türkiye is their country's "ally". The countries ranked third to sixth are the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and India.

It is reported that the investigation has been ongoing for 15 years. According to recent survey results, as China's influence in the region has increased, its popularity among young Arab people has gradually increased, while the support of the United States has been decreasing year by year.

In 2015, the United States ranked second among all countries considered allies, only behind Saudi Arabia. But in 2018, the popularity ranking of the United States had already fallen out of the top five.

The survey also shows that young Arab people have a more complex attitude towards the United States.

One third of the respondents still believe that the United States will continue to exert the greatest influence in the region, followed by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Russia.

However, at the same time, most respondents hope that the United States will reduce its involvement in regional affairs. 61% of respondents stated that they strongly or to some extent support the withdrawal of the United States from the region.

From a regional perspective, although Israel has normalized relations with four Arab countries, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco, and Saudi Arabia and Iran have also achieved historic reconciliation, overall, 86% of respondents still view Israel as a "strong enemy or to some extent an enemy", and 57% share the same view of Iran.

In addition, with the end of the "Qatar diplomatic crisis", 92% of young people surveyed believe that Qatar is an "ally". 87% of the respondents praised Qatar's hosting of the 2022 World Cup, believing it enhanced the pride of the Arab world.

More independent and autonomous

Analysis suggests that the changing attitudes of young people in Arab countries indicate that they are eager to see a more independent and autonomous Arab world.

According to a report by Arab Satellite TV, Sunil John, founder of ASDAA BCW, who conducted the survey, stated that all respondents in this year's survey belong to Generation Z, and the oldest respondents were only teenagers during the outbreak of the Arab Spring. He believes that this generation is accepting a new reality: on the one hand, geopolitical conflicts are constantly fermenting, and the influence of emerging world powers on the region is increasing; On the other hand, regional countries are also seeking to reshape a new pattern and hope to have a place on the world stage.

Anna Jacobs, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Research Organization, a think tank in the United States, also believes that regional countries have shown that they will not take sides in the big power game and believe that it is necessary to maintain a balanced relationship with all major powers.

In this context, China's influence in the region is increasing. In March of this year, China facilitated historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and in June, it received a visit from Palestinian President Abbas to China. China has also become the largest trading partner of oil exporting countries in the region. In 2022, the trade volume between China and Saudi Arabia increased to 116.04 billion US dollars.

In December last year, China and Saudi Arabia issued a joint statement reaffirming their unwavering support for each other's core interests, their support for each other's maintenance of national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and their joint defense of the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and other international legal foundations and basic norms of international relations. In this regard, CNN also acknowledges that the Chinese government's agenda in the region is focused on the economy and has no additional conditions.

By comparison, the United States is losing power in the Middle East.

Former US diplomat Charles Dunn, who has worked in the Middle East, believes that the Biden administration has clearly abandoned its previous role as a mediator for the United States. This seems to be an acknowledgement that the Biden administration has been unable to deal with more new issues while facing a hostile Congress, a difficult re-election, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, confrontation with China and a large number of domestic agendas.

Al Jazeera recently pointed out that in the region, saying "no" to the United States has become a very popular stance. Most people believe that it is a hypocritical imperialist force that only talks about human rights and democracy verbally. This is particularly evident in the US foreign policy towards Palestine.

In addition, thanks to satellite television and social media platforms, the people of the region have also witnessed firsthand the crimes committed by the United States in Iraq and its humiliation in Afghanistan. They do not consider the United States to be the guardian of civilization, let alone an invincible force. The article said that based on this, more and more people agreed that the "decoupling" between the United States and the region would be inevitable.