Media
Alert
30 November 2009
The Chinese public are divided over
whether to allow Australian government
investment in China but say Australia is
a good place to be educated: 2009 Lowy
China Poll
Embargoed until midnight Monday 30 November 2009
The Chinese public is divided over whether companies controlled by the
Australian government should be allowed to buy controlling stakes in major
Chinese firms. Most see Australia as a good place in which to be educated, but
not the best, the 2009 Lowy Institute China Poll has found.
Forty-seven per cent of Chinese adults were against companies controlled by the
Australian government trying to buy controlling stakes in major Chinese
companies, compared with 41% in favour.
“Efforts by Chinese government-controlled companies to buy into major resource
firms are controversial in Australia. It’s interesting that nearly half the Chinese
public opposes Australian investment in the other direction”, said the poll’s
authors Fergus Hanson and Andrew Shearer.
However, Australia rated well ahead of the United States and Japan as a
preferred source of overseas investment in China. Large majorities were opposed
to major investments from both those governments. Of the five countries included
in
the survey, only investment by the Singaporean government managed to
secure majority support (56%).
When it came to Chinese preferences for education destinations, Australia did
better. Seventy-eight per cent of the Chinese public said Australia was a good
place in which to be educated, equal with Singapore.
But when it came to choosing the best of five countries in which to be educated
only 14% chose Australia. The United States was seen as the best place in which
to be educated by 36% of the Chinese public, the United Kingdom came second
with 19% and Singapore third with 15%.
“The results suggest an Australian education is well regarded in China, but the
perception of its quality still probably lags behind competitor markets like the
United States and the United Kingdom”, the authors said.
The Lowy Institute China Poll was conducted by telephone in China between 29
August and 13 September 2009 using a sample of 1,200 adults randomly
selected from urban and nearby rural communities. The Lowy Institute gratefully
acknowledges the support provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur
Foundation to fund part of the survey work.
The full results of the 2009 Lowy Institute China Poll will be released at
10.30pm on Tuesday 1 December 2009. The report will be available to
Partial results:
Table 1: Foreign investment
Now about companies controlled by foreign governments. What if one of these companies tried to
buy a controlling stake in a major Chinese company. Would you be in favour or against this
happening if the government controlling the company was from..
Singapore
Canada
Australia
United
States
Japan
In favour
56%
45%
41%
20%
14%
Against
34%
43%
47%
70%
79%
Don’t know
11%
12%
12%
9%
7%
Table 2: Overseas education
Now about being educated in an overseas country. For each of the following countries, do you
personally think each of them is a good place or a poor place in which to be educated?
United
Kingdom
Canada
Australia
Singapore
United
States
Good place
84%
82%
78%
78%
77%
Poor place
10%
11%
14%
15%
18%
Don’t know
6%
6%
8%
7%
5%
Table 3: Best countries in which to be educated
And which of … do you regard as the best place in which to be educated?
And which of … do you regard as the second-best place in which to be educated?
#
Best place
Best place
or second-
best place
United States
36%
53%
United Kingdom
19%
48%
Singapore
15%
32%
Australia
14%
28%
Canada
11%
28%
Not applicable
5%
5%
#
Note: This table includes those who said only one country was a ‘good place’ in which to be
educated in the ‘best place’ response option.
For further information please contact
Orietta Melfi on (02) 8238 9080 omelfi@lowyinstitute.org
Fergus Hanson on (02) 8238 9120 fhanson@lowyinstitute.org
The Lowy Institute is an independent, non-partisan think tank which researches international
political, strategic and economic issues from an Australian perspective.
31 Bligh Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Tel: +61 2 8238 9000 Fax: +61 2 8238 9005
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