HKU POP SITE releases the latest figures on the popularity of SAR and Central Governments, and people's confidence in the future Back


Press Release on September 7, 2004
 

The Public Opinion Programme (POP) at the University of Hong Kong today releases on schedule via the "HKU POP SITE" (http://hkupop.pori.hk) the latest findings on people's trust in the HKSAR and Beijing Central Governments, their confidence in Hong Kong's future, China's future and "one country, two systems". Recent figures are summarized below:

 
 Date of survey 20-23/12/03 20-23/2/04 13-16/4/04 21-24/6/04 21-28/8/04 Latest change
 Sample base 1,022 1,045 1,022 1,023 1,033 --
 Overall response rate 66.0% 65.3% 64.4% 63.9% 65.4% --
 Sampling error of percentages(at 95% confidence level)* +/- 3% +/- 3% +/- 3% +/- 3% +/- 3% --
 Trust in HKSAR Government** 32% 34% 28% 35% 39% +4%
 Distrust in HKSAR Government** 38% 30% 30% 35% 32% -3%
 Trust in Beijing Government** 50% 43% 38% 39% 45% +6%
 Distrust in Beijing Government** 19% 22% 25% 30% 26% -4%
 Confidence in HK's future 61% 62% 58% 60% 62% +2%
 No-confidence in HK's future 25% 23% 29% 26% 26% --
 Confidence in China's future 86% 85% 83% 80% 82% +2%
 No-confidence in China's future 7% 7% 9% 11% 11% --
 Confidence in "one country, two systems" 56% 57% 50% 48% 55% +7%
 No-confidence in "one country, two systems" 27% 27% 37% 35% 31% -4%

* "95% confidence level" means that if we were to repeat a certain survey 100 times, using the same questions each time but with different random samples, we would expect 95 times getting a figure within the error margins specified.
** Collapsed from a 5-point scale.

 

The survey conducted in late August revealed 39% of the respondents trusted the HKSAR Government, and 45% trusted the Beijing Central Government. On the other hand, 62% of the respondents had confidence in Hong Kong's future and 82% had confidence in China's future, while 55% of the respondents were confident in the "one country, two systems".

 

Robert Ting-Yiu Chung, Director of Public Opinion Programme, observed, "Our latest survey shows a rebound in people's confidence in 'one country, two systems', and in their trust in both the Central and SAR Governments. The effect brought by NPC's interpretation of the Basic Law seems to have gone. People's trust in the SAR Government has almost recovered to that of mid-2002. Whether people's trust in the Central Government will continue to grow or not, would depend very much on how Central Government officials would react to the Legislative Council election."

 

POP's normal practice is to release the results of our regular surveys every Tuesday at 2 pm via our POP Site, except during public holidays, each time with a forecast of the items to be released in the forthcoming week. From August 11 onwards, we will release the latest results of the Legislative Council election rolling survey every day at 2 pm via our POP site (yet postponed to 3:30pm tomorrow in order to be concurrent with the press conference), until the election ends. Results of our regular surveys will still be released during this period of time. The date and time of our next release of regular survey findings will be September 14, 2004, Tuesday, at 2 pm, the latest ratings of the most well-known political groups will be released.

 

Shall anyone have any question regarding the research design of the surveys published in the POP Site, members of the POP Team will be happy to answer them, but we will not further comment on the findings. Shall any person or journalist have any other questions, please email them to us at <[email protected]. The Director of Public Opinion Programme would answer them as soon as possible. We will keep such an arrangement under constant review, suggestions most welcome. Please note that everything carried in the POP Site does not represent the stand of the University of Hong Kong. Dr Robert Ting-Yiu Chung, Director of Public Opinion Programme, is responsible for everything posted herewith, except for column articles which represent the stand of their authors.