Poll reflects growing fear of China's military

PARIS -- Fears are strong in Japan about China's rise as a military power, and negative feelings toward China among the Japanese have increased sharply over the past four years, a new international survey has found.

The survey, carried out by the Pew Global Attitudes Project and made public yesterday, found that 93 percent of Japanese respondents held a negative view of China's growing military might. Negative views were also held by 76 percent of those questioned in Russia, and 63 percent in India. In contrast, 95 percent of the Chinese saw their military strength as a good thing. The survey also found that significant numbers of Indians, Russians, Japanese, and even a stunning 43 percent of Americans believed that China would overtake the United States within the next 50 years to emerge as the world's leading superpower.

The findings, according to Hugh White, a professor of strategic studies at the Australian National University, seem to show that Asians are adjusting to the idea that ``the model for the future role of the U S in Asia won't be unchallenged dominance."

``The most important thing the U S does in Asia is provide the guarantee of Japanese security, which dampens the chances of strategic competition between Japan and China," White said. ``But China has grown a lot stronger economically since 2000, and America looks weaker militarily since 9/11, so people in Asia see a more equal relationship between China and America emerging."

Other analysts, among them Yiyi Lu, an Asia specialist in London, said the findings reflect the way governments in Asia may have played up the threat of China to reinvigorate their militaries, as in Japan, or to demonstrate resolve in the face of immigration from China, as in Russia.