japanese back global engagement despite concern about domestic economy november 1 2016

Japanese Back Global Engagement Despite Concern About Domestic EconomyBruce StokesDirector, Global Economic Attitudes@BruceStokes JIAA, Tokyo, November 1, 2016

December 16, 2016 2

Pew Research Center

• Established 1996

• Funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, foundations

• Non-profit, non-partisan fact tank in Washington

• Since 2002, we have surveyed in 93 countries

• www.pewresearch.org

www.pewresearch.org

December 16, 2016 3www.pewresearch.org

Methodology

• Survey conducted from April 26 to May 29, 2016, among 1,000 respondents

• Based on nationally representative telephone interviews with adults 18 and older.

• The margin of sampling error for the complete set of weighted data is ±4.1%

HOW THE JAPANESE SEE THE ECONOMY, THE DIRECTION OF THE COUNTRY AND PRIME MINISTER ABE’S LEADERSHIP

Sept. 18, 2015 www.pewresearch.org 4


Japanese Unhappy With the Economy, But Increasingly Satisfied with the Direction of the Country

Current state of economy is good

Satisfied with the country’s direction

Source: Spring 2016 Global Attitudes Survey.

22

47

28 30

0

80 %

2007 2016


Those Japanese With More Than a Secondary Education More Satisfied With the Direction of the Country

Satisfied Dissatisfied DK/Refused% % %

TOTAL 47 45 9

Men 49 43 8

Women 44 46 9

18-34 57 41 2

35-49 45 48 7

50+ 44 44 12

Secondary education or less 41 48 11

Some college or more 57 39 4

% who are __ with the way things are going in our country today

Note: Statistically significant differences in bold and red.Source: Spring 2016 Global Attitudes Survey.

Japanese Generally Supportive of Prime Minister Abe’s Handling of the Economy and of Other Countries


39%

18

34

40

52%

74

54

46

ApproveDisapprove

Do you __ of the way Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is handling …

The economy

Relations with China

Relations with South Korea

Relations with the United States


Note: Statistically significant differences in bold and red.Source: Spring 2016 Global Attitudes Survey.


Few Demographic Differences in Approval of Abe’s Handling of Key Issues

The economyRelations with

U.S.Relations withSouth Korea

Relations withChina

% % % %

TOTAL 52 74 54 46

Men 58 81 57 52

Women 46 68 52 40

18-34 58 75 53 44

35-49 58 79 59 55

50+ 47 71 52 42

Secondary education or less 50 76 50 42

Some college or more 55 72 62 53

Approve of the way Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is handling …

THE JAPANESE VIEW OF THE WORLD AND JAPAN’S ROLE

Sept. 18, 2015 www.pewresearch.org 9

December 16, 2016 www.pewresearch.org 10

__ is a major threat to Japan

71%

69

68

63

59

52

39

33

U.S. power and influence

Cyberattacks from other countries

Tensions with Russia

Global climate change

ISIS

Large number of refugees leaving Iraq/Syria

Global economic instability

China’s emergence as a world power

Japanese Most Concerned About Cybersecurity, ISIS and Climate Change



63 61

50

5966

85

72 69 66 6872

35 36 48 3732

14

27 29 30 2923

0

100

Unfavorable

Favorable

%

Views of the U.S.

Japanese Remain Positive On the U.S.

20162006



But Japanese See U.S. as Less Important and a Major Threat


72%Favorable view of U.S.

61

52U.S. power and influence

is a major threat

U.S. plays a less important role in the

world than 10 years ago

Japanese Also More Likely Than Chinese to Say U.S. Role on World Stage Has Declined


Do you think the U.S. plays a more important and powerful role as a world leader today compared to 10 years ago, a less important role or about as important a role as a world leader as it did 10 years ago?


7%

35

29%

16

61%

39

Japan

China

Lessimportant

More important

As important


27 29

14

26 26

34

15

5 7 9 11

7167

84

69 69

61

84

93 91 89 86

0

100

Unfavorable

Favorable

%

Views of China

Japanese Remain Quite Negative On China

20162006



45%

46

47%

45

Having a strong economic relationship with China

Being tough with China on territorial disputes

between China and Japan

Which is more important?

Japanese Split on Embracing or Confronting China

2015

2016


Japanese Far Less Likely Than Chinese to Say Their Own Country Plays a More Important Role in the World


Do you think our country plays a more important role in the world today compared to 10 years ago, a less important role or about as important a role in the world as it did 10 years ago?

Note: In U.S., question asked whether U.S. plays “a more important and powerful role as a world leader.”Source: Spring 2016 Global Attitudes Survey. U.S. data from a Pew Research Center survey conducted April 12-19, 2016.

24%

21

75

39%

31

10

34%

46

10

Japan

U.S.

China

Less important

More important

As important


23%

32

49

60%

58

44

A good thing because it provides new markets and opportunities for growth

A bad thing because it lowers wages and costs jobs

Our country’s involvement in the global economy is …

Majority of Japanese Say Global Economic Engagement is Good for Japan, a View Comparable to That in China, More Than in U.S.

China

Japan

U.S.

Source: Spring 2016 Global Attitudes Survey. U.S. data from a Pew Research Center survey conducted April 12-19, 2016.


% who believe involvement in the global economy is a good thing because it provides opportunities

58%

52

67

Total

Secondary education or less

Some college or more

Those With More Than a Secondary Education Are More Supportive of Global Economic Engagement



35%

57

56

59%

37

22

Help other countries deal with their problems

Deal with its own problems and let other countries deal with theirs

Our country should …

Japanese More Willing to Help Others than Americans, Chinese

Source: Spring 2016 Global Attitudes Survey. U.S. data from a Pew Research Center survey conducted April 12-19, 2016.

China

Japan

U.S.


% who believe Japan should help other countries deal with their problems

59%

64

55

60

62

57

56

64

Total

Male

Female

18-34

35-49

50+

Secondary education or less

Some college or more

Men, Japanese With More Than a Secondary Education More Supportive of Helping Other Countries

Source: Spring 2016 Global Attitudes Survey. Note: Statistically significant differences in bold and red.


19%

20

27

73%

71

66

SupportOppose

% who …

In Particular, Japanese Back Measures to Help Developing Countries

Increasing foreign aid to developing countries

Importing more goods from developing countries

Increasing Japanese companies’ investment in

developing countries


Nevertheless, Japanese Have Narrow Definition of National Identity: To Be Japanese, People Should Speak Japanese, Be Born

in Japan, Share Japanese Customs and Traditions


70%

50

43

22%

27

47

5%

14

8

8

Very important Somewhat importantNot very important Not at all important

How important to do you think __ is for being truly Japanese?

Being able to speak Japanese

Having been born in Japan

Sharing Japanese customs and

traditions

2%

1



62%

68

29%

23

Play a more active military role

Limit its military role

Japan should __ in the Asia-Pacific region

Slight Increase in Japanese Support for a More Active Military Role in the Region

2015

2016



14% 79%

Relying too much on force creates hatred, more terrorism

Overwhelming force is the best way to defeat

terrorism

Which statement comes closer to your own views?

But Japanese Oppose Too Much Reliance on Military to Defeat Terrorism


Keep the same

52%

Increase

29%

Decrease

14%


And Roughly Half of Japanese Prefer Defense Spending to Remain Constant

Do you think we should increase our spending on national defense, keep it about the same or decrease it?


Don’t know

5%


How Japanese Views Compare With the Views of the Chinese, Indians, Americans and Europeans

*Question not asked in China.Note: EU percentages are medians based on 10 European countries.Source: Spring 2016 Global Attitudes Survey. U.S. data from a Pew Research Center survey conducted April 12-19, 2016.

Japan China India EU U.S.

% % % % %

Our country should help other countries deal with their problems

59 22 23 40 37

Involvement in the global economy is good 58 60 52 56 44

Our country plays a more important role than 10 years ago

24 75 68 23 21

Overwhelming military force is the best way to defeat terrorism

14 44 62 41 47

Our country should increase spending on national defense*

29 - 63 33 35

December 16, 2016 27

All Pew Research Center reports and data are available online at www.pewresearch.org

Global Attitudes: www.pewglobal.org@pewglobal

@BruceStokes

www.pewresearch.org

japanese back global engagement despite concern about domestic economy november 1 2016

Economy & Finance