What Indians think—about Pakistan, China, Russia and the US

Most Indians seem to have a positive view of the US, with 65 per cent saying so and 64 per cent expressing confidence in US president Joe Biden to do the right thing regarding world affairs.

India is, however, also the only country out of 24 surveyed where a majority of respondents said they have confidence in Putin to do the right thing regarding world affairs, says a new Pew Research Center survey.

According to the survey, those who believe that the US is the world’s leading economic power are more likely to believe that American influence is getting stronger, as are those who say the US contributes to peace and stability and those who agree that the US interferes in the affairs of other countries.xz

These findings come from a Pew Research Center survey conducted from 20 February to 22 May 2023, among more than 30,000 people in 24 countries. In the survey, Indians were asked to evaluate the influence of six other countries—the US, Russia, the UK, Germany, China and France.

Of these countries, the US was most likely to be seen as having become more influential. In contrast, only 14 per cent of Indians said that the United States’s influence in the world was getting weaker, while about 3 in 10 say it is staying about the same.

Many Indians also believe that Russia’s global influence has strengthened, with about 4 in 10 saying that Russia’s influence in the world has been getting stronger in recent years. Roughly 3 in 10 say that it has been staying about the same, while about 2 in 10 say that Russia’s influence has been getting “weaker”.

But, Indians generally had a favourable view of Russia, with 23 per cent of Indians viewing Russia very favourably. Positive views of Putin accompany favourable views of Russia among Indians. India is the only country in which a majority say they have confidence in Putin to do the right thing regarding world affairs. This includes 19 per cent with ‘a lot of confidence’.

The survey notes that views of Russia and its leader are partisan issues in India. Those with a favourable view of the right-wing BJP are more likely than those who do not support the BJP to have positive views of Russia or to have confidence in Putin.

The global influence of the UK, Germany and France are seen similarly in India, with roughly 4 in 10 Indians saying each country’s influence in the world has been staying about the same in recent years.

India’s views on China mixed

While Indians stand out for their positive evaluations of the U. and Russia, they are notably more critical of China.

India is the only middle-income country surveyed where a majority has an unfavourable view of China (67 per cent); it also has the largest share with a very unfavourable view of China among all the countries surveyed (50 per cent).

A majority of Indians also have no confidence in Chinese president Xi Jinping, with 48 per cent having ‘no confidence at all’, said the survey. About 4 in 10 Indians also said that China’s influence has been getting stronger. In contrast, around 3 in 10 Indians say that China’s influence has been getting “weaker” — interestingly, though, this is the highest number saying 'getting weaker' for any of the countries discussed in the survey!

In India, negative views of China have also reached historic highs since the country was last surveyed in 2019. Two-thirds of Indians express an unfavourable opinion of China, making India the only middle-income country where a majority has unfavourable views of China.

Negative views in India rose to 67 per cent in 2023 from 46 per cent in 2019. During this same time period, conflicts have repeatedly flared up along the India–China border.

While only 28 per cent of Indians said that China did not take their country’s interests into account in 2013, 58 per cent now say so in 2023.

Chinese investment is also viewed with scepticism in India—far more than in other middle-income countries. Asked to evaluate the impacts of Chinese investment, more than half of Indians said Chinese investment has not been good for the Indian economy, and 4 in 10 say Chinese investment has provided no benefits 'at all', again the largest share recorded in the survey.

India vs Pakistan

On expected lines, about 7 in 10 Indians have an unfavourable view of Pakistan, including 57 per cent whose views are 'very unfavourable' toward Pakistan. Just 19 per cent in India have a favourable view of the neighbouring country.

Men are more likely than women to have an unfavourable view of Pakistan. They are also especially likely to choose 'very unfavourable': 66 per cent of Indian men hold this opinion, while 49 per cent of Indian women say the same. Women were somewhat less likely than men to state their opinion either way, though.

Those who support the National Democratic Alliance (which includes the BJP) are more likely to express an unfavourable view of Pakistan than those who do not support the governing parties. Two-thirds of those who support the governing parties chose 'very unfavourable' for Pakistan, compared with about half of those who do not support these parties.