GT poll finds people scared of war

A Global Times multiple-choice poll has found that nearly 34 percent of respondents living in border regions with North Korea are mostly worried that a war might break out on the Korean Peninsula and nearly 30 percent are concerned that China may see North Korean refugees flooding in, as Pyongyang doubles down on its threatening statements.

The survey by the Global Times Global Poll Center, conducted through phone calls and online from Wednesday to Friday, collected responses from 1,033 residents above 18 years old who live in Dandong, Liaoning Province, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture and Tonghua city in Jilin Province, all bordering North Korea.

About nine out of 10 respondents said media reports were their main channel to learn about the unfolding situation, with nearly 10 percent relying on the increased border security presence.

When asked about their concerns, 33.9 percent of respondents said they were mostly worried that a war would break out, and 29.8 percent of them expressed concerns that North Korean refugees would crowd into the country. Nearly 29 percent said they were worried that other powers such as the US would interfere in the conflict on the peninsula, while another 24.8 percent focused on whether Pyongyang would carry out a fourth nuclear test.

The survey also found that more than 77 percent of respondents said they were worried about environmental pollution following the North's previous nuclear tests.

Jin Qiangyi, director of the Asian Studies Center at Yanbian University, told the Global Times Friday that the respondents' concerns over the tensions were "reasonable."

Jin said that given the situation, an accident or partial clash might evolve into a war.

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