U.S. SURVEY
Most Chinese worry about inflation, jobs, pollution
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 07:36:00 07/23/2008
Filed Under: Statistics, Research, inflation
WASHINGTON -- Most Chinese are concerned about rising prices, unemployment and labor conditions, although they have a positive view of the way things are going in their country, a poll by a US group showed Tuesday.
A whopping 96 percent of those surveyed by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan group in Washington, described rising prices as a big problem for the country, with 72 percent saying it was a "very" big problem.
Despite rapid economic growth, concerns about unemployment and worker conditions were extensive, with 68 percent and 56 percent respectively calling these "big problems," Pew said in a report.
It also found complaints about corruption widespread, and increasing concern about pollution.
As many as 80 percent thought protecting the environment should be made a priority, even if this resulted in slower growth and potential loss of jobs, Pew said.
The survey, conducted largely in urban Chinese areas, was based on face-to-face interviews with 3,212 adults between March 28 and April 19, a period which followed the March 10 bloody unrest in Tibet and preceded the May 12 deadly earthquake in Sichuan province.
China's economic juggernaut slowed but still maintained double-digit growth -- 10.4 percent -- in the first half of the year as it battled domestic inflation and problems globally, official data have showed.
The consumer price index -- the main gauge of inflation -- rose 7.9 percent in the first half of 2008, with food prices soaring 20.4 percent, according to National Bureau of Statistics.
Despite the various concerns, the Pew poll showed more than eight in 10 Chinese had a positive view of the way things were going in their country and with their nation’s economy -- ranking China number one among 24 countries covered by the 2008 Pew Global Attitudes Project survey.
Pew said there was a "dramatic improvement" in the national mood ahead of the August Beijing Olympics -- 86 percent said they were satisfied with the country’s direction now, compared with 48 percent in 2002.
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