BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- An international survey released on Tuesday said that the global public generally has positive views of Chinese companies for overseas development as they are becoming a major innovative force in the world.

The report "New Perceptions of China Going Global" by advisory firm Brunswick is based on the survey of 18 countries where Chinese companies have significant investments or plans, along with interviews of 300 senior Chinese executives at companies that have expanded internationally or are planning to do so.

The survey was carried out from last October to November in countries including the United States, Britain, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Kenya, Kazakhstan and Hungary.

According to the report, Chinese business leaders see international expansion as a pillar of their sustained growth. While they see an opportunity for growing sales in the domestic market, they are also increasingly looking further afield, with nearly 49 percent reporting that exports and sales outside of China have become much more important in the past year.

Innovation is perceived to be Chinese companies' strong suit. Around 46 percent of respondents said Chinese companies are better than most at innovation, and 82 percent said their country benefits from advancements created by innovative Chinese companies.

Among the overseas interviewees, 74 percent have a positive opinion of Chinese companies, and 32 percent said they are "very favorable" of them. Interviewees from countries along China's Belt and Road Initiative have the most positive view of Chinese companies.

The report noted that 71 percent of respondents said their country has a fair trading relationship with China, and 83 percent of respondents said Chinese companies' investment in local businesses is positive for communities.

Meanwhile, the survey also found that there is less trust for Chinese companies among respondents who have seen "nothing" or "only a little" on China over the past year. Around 83 percent of those who have received "a lot" of information said they are favorable and trust Chinese companies.

The report said Chinese companies have great opportunities for international investment and they also need to improve how they explain to the world who they are, how they operate and their commercial goals in order to build greater trust and credibility.