Arab Barometer: People in MENA region favor China over U.S.

Residents in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries have an increasingly favorable view toward China, compared to the significantly lower figures to the United States, according to a survey published on January 12 by Arab Barometer, a Princeton University-affiliated non-partisan quantitative research institute.

A screenshot from the official website of Arab Barometer

Arab Barometer has conducted a survey to gauge public opinion toward China and the U.S., the world's two biggest economies. Over 6,000 residents from six MENA countries, including Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia, participated in the research.

The survey shows that Arab publics prefer China. In Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, half or more than half of respondents prefer China to the U.S., with figures reaching 60 percent, 52 percent, and 50 percent, respectively. In the other three countries, China has received over a third of positive views.

The U.S. is less welcomed in the MENA region. In six countries, fewer than a third of interviewees hold a favorable view towards the U.S., having results ranging from a high of 28 percent in Morocco to a low of 14 percent in Libya.

The poll also reveals that interviewees think China's foreign policies are more beneficial to the MENA region. Forty-two percent of Algerians in the survey agree that China's foreign policies have been favorable for the area, which is the highest among the six countries. Even in Jordan, where the support is somewhat lower, the number reaches 21 percent.

The same figures for the United States are less appealing, for the highest view stands at 18 percent in Lebanon. Only 6 percent of the interviewees in Tunisia support U.S. foreign policy.

Despite China's growing economic ties with the MENA countries, relatively few residents consider China as a threat to their countries’ national interest. Instead, they are more concerned about U.S. economic power. Over a third of respondents in six countries believe the U.S. could jeopardize their country's economy.

Screenshot from the official website of Arab Barometer

Among the six countries, people in Lebanon are most likely to think the two countries' economic involvement represents a significant threat. The figure toward the U.S. topped at nearly 50 percent, almost twice as high as China's figure, which is 26 percent.

The research institution explains different attitudes via two countries’ performance on international issues. "China has taken an increasing role in the region, providing aid to governments for COVID-related relief, building on years of increased involvement in MENA through its Belt and Road Initiative," said the research.

With the largest repository of publicly available data on people's views in MENA regions, the survey results are high quality and reliable that can reflect the attitudes of ordinary citizens in the MENA region.