HKU POP releases findings on people's feeling towards different governments and peoples Back

Press Release on December 8, 2011

Abstract

The Public Opinion Programme (POP) at the University of Hong Kong conducted a double stage survey on Hong Kong citizens' feeling towards different governments and peoples in November and December, by means of random telephone interviews conducted by real interviewers. The survey shows that Hong Kong people feel much more positively about other peoples than their governments, with the exception of Mainland China and Macau. Regarding the four cross-strait societies, Hong Kong people's positive feeling towards Taiwan people is 21 percentage points higher than that of the Taiwan government, that towards fellow Hong Kong people is 13 percentage points higher than that towards the Hong Kong SAR Government. However, their positive feeling towards Macau people is 1 percentage point lower than that towards the Macau government, that towards the Mainland Chinese people is 10 percentage points lower than that towards the Mainland Chinese government. As for countries and regions outside the cross-strait regions, Hong Kong people's positive feeling towards the people of Japan is 28 percentage points higher than their government, that towards the people of Thailand is 20 percentage points higher than their government, that towards the people of the United States is 18 percentage points higher than their government, that towards the people of the Philippines is 14 percentage points higher than their government, while that towards the people of France is 13 percentage points higher than their government. In terms of absolute percentages and ranked by net values, Hong Kong people seem to dislike the governments of the Philippines, the United States, Thailand, Italy, Japan and France whereas they seem to like all peoples rather than dislike them, except with the people of Mainland China and the Philippines. These findings are worth studying by various governments. It should be noted that compared to half a year ago, Hong Kong people's positive feeling towards fellow Hong Kong people and SAR government have surged by 14 and 20 percentage points respectively, back to the level registered in May 2008. Moreover, people's negative feeling towards the Mainland Chinese people, and their positive feeling towards Taiwan people, are both at their new high since 2007. These findings are also worth studying. As for other reasons affecting the ups and downs of various figures, readers can make their own judgment using detailed records shown in our "Opinion Daily" feature page. It should be noted, however, that our survey only covers regions and countries best known to Hong Kong people. Hong Kong people may well like or dislike other places much more, but because they are not the most well-known places, they do not appear on the list by design. The maximum sampling error of all percentages is between +/-1 and +/-4 percentage points at 95% confidence level while the response rate of the second stage opinion survey is 70%.

Points to note:

[1] The address of the "HKU POP SITE" is http://hkupop.pori.hk, journalists can check out the details of the survey there.
[2] The sample size of the first stage naming survey is 1,027 successful interviews, not 1,027 x 65.7% response rate, while the sample size of the second stage rating survey is 1,055 successful interviews, not 1,055 x 69.6% response rate. In the past, many media made this mistake.
[3] "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. When quoting these figures, journalists can state "sampling error of various percentages not more than +/-4% at 95% confidence level".
[4] When quoting percentages of this survey, journalists should refrain from reporting decimal places in order to match the precision level of the figures.
[5] The data of this survey is collected by means of random telephone interviews conducted by real interviewers, not by any interactive voice system (IVS). If a research organization uses "computerized random telephone survey" to camouflage its IVS operation, it should be considered unprofessional.

Latest Figures

POP today releases on schedule via the "POP SITE" the survey findings on Hong Kong people's feeling towards different governments and peoples. These surveys on governments are conducted at least once a year since 1997, while the surveys on peoples only began in 2007, this being the nineth time. As a general practice, all figures released today have been weighted according to provisional figures obtained from the Census and Statistics Department regarding the gender-age distribution of the Hong Kong population in mid-year 2011. Herewith the contact information for the latest survey:

Date of survey	Overall sample size	Response rate	Sampling error of percentages ^[6]
7-17/11/2011 (First stage naming survey)	1,027	65.7%	+/-3%
23/11-1/12/2011 (Second stage opinion survey)	1,055	69.6%	+/-3%

[6] Calculated at 95% confidence level using full sample size. "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. Questions using only sub-samples would have bigger sample error. For this survey, the sub-sample size of all questions has been controlled to no less than 500. Corresponding sampling errors have been reported in the statistical tables.

The research design of our survey on "people's feeling towards different governments and peoples" has been explained in detail under "Survey Method" in our corresponding web page. For many years, POP have selected 15 regions and countries that are best known to Hong Kong people, and conducted surveys to measure people's feeling towards the governments of these places. Our primary objective was to map Hong Kong people's cosmopolitan view over time. In 2007, we improved our research design. Our mid-2007 survey was divided into two stages, namely, a naming survey and an opinion survey. In the 2007 year-end survey, we further added the people module to the survey. In specific terms, in our naming survey, other than Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan and Macau, respondents can name, unaided, up to ten regions or countries which they know best. The four cross-strait regions together with 12 other regions and countries most frequently mentioned in the naming stage were then shortlisted into the second stage, with their governments and peoples rated by respondents as "very positive", "quite positive", "half-half", "quite negative" or "very negative". In our first stage survey conducted on November 7 to 17, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, France and Australia were mentioned most frequently. Please refer to the relevant table in our website for the rest of the list. Our second stage survey was conducted on November 23 to December 1. The following table summarizes the findings of Hong Kong people's feeling towards the governments and peoples of the four cross-strait regions.

Date of survey		7-12/5/10	8-12/11/10	12-16/5/11	23/11-1/12/11
Sample base		1,018	1,003	1,000	1,055
Overall response rate		70.2%	67.1%	65.5%	69.6%
Feeling towards different governments / peoples ^[8]		Finding	Finding	Finding	Base^[9]	Finding and error ^[7]	Latest change^[10]	Difference with gov'ts / peoples
Hong Kong	People Positive	44%	50%^[11]	39%^[11]	521	53+/-4%	+14%^[11]	+13%
	People Negative	10%	7%^[11]	9%	521	8+/-2%	-1%	-17%
	Government Positive	23%	24%	20%^[11]	521	40+/-4%	+20%^[11]	-13%
	Government Negative	26%^[11]	22%	27%^[11]	521	25+/-4%	-2%	+17%
Mainland	People Positive	26%	33%^[11]	23%^[11]	510	23+/-4%	--	-10%
	People Negative	22%	16%^[11]	28%^[11]	510	33+/-4%	+5%^[11]	+5%
	Government Positive	32%^[11]	33%	22%^[11]	510	33+/-4%	+11%^[11]	+10%
	Government Negative	21%^[11]	22%	25%	510	28+/-4%	+3%	-5%
Taiwan	People Positive	42%	42%	48%^[11]	517	49+/-4%	+1%	+21%
	People Negative	8%	7%	5%	517	5+/-2%	--	-14%
	Government Positive	19%^[11]	19%	21%	517	28+/-4%	+7%^[11]	-21%
	Government Negative	22%	22%	15%^[11]	517	19+/-3%	+4%^[11]	+14%
Macau	People Positive	40%	44%	39%^[11]	529	44+/-4%	+5%^[11]	-1%
	People Negative	4%	2%^[11]	2%	529	3+/-2%	+1%	-6%
	Government Positive	34%^[11]	42%^[11]	39%	529	45+/-4%	+6%^[11]	+1%
	Government Negative	15%^[11]	9%^[11]	8%	529	9+/-3%	+1%	+6%

[7] All error figures in the table are calculated at 95% confidence level. "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. Media can state "sampling error of percentages not more than +/-4% at 95% confidence level" when quoting the above figures. The error margin of previous survey can be found at the POP Site.
[8] Collapsed from a 5-point scale.
[9] The sample size for each question varies, but has been controlled to no less than 500. Corresponding sampling errors have all been given.
[10] Comparison made with survey findings of 12-16/5/11.
[11] Such changes have gone beyond the sampling errors at the 95% confidence level, meaning that they are statistically significant prima facie. However, whether numerical differences are statistically significant or not is not the same as whether they are practically useful or meaningful.

Herewith the findings of Hong Kong people's feelings towards the governments and peoples of 12 regions and countries other than the four cross-strait regions. They are ranked according to Hong Kong people's positive and negative feelings towards their people.

Date of survey		7-12/5/10	8-12/11/10	12-16/5/11	23/11-1/12/11
Sample base		1,018	1,003	1,000	1,055
Overall response rate		70.2%	67.1%	65.5%	69.6%
Feeling towards different governments / peoples ^[13]		*Finding*	*Finding*	*Finding*	Base^[14]	Finding and error^[12]	Latest change^[15]	Difference with gov'ts / peoples
Singapore	People Positive	57%	56%	58%	528	56+/-4%	-2%	+1%
	People Negative	5%^[16]	3%^[16]	3%	528	3+/-2%	--	-6%
	Government Positive	57%^[16]	54%	57%	528	55+/-4%	-2%	-1%
	Government Negative	8%	6%	6%	528	9+/-2%	+3%^[16]	+6%
Japan	People Positive	48%	35%^[16]	60%^[16]	502	55+/-4%	-5%^[16]	+28%
	People Negative	9%	15%^[16]	6%^[16]	502	8+/-2%	+2%	-25%
	Government Positive	20%	9%^[16]	26%^[16]	502	27+/-4%	+1%	-28%
	Government Negative	25%	52%^[16]	27%^[16]	502	33+/-4%	+6%^[16]	+25%
Canada	People Positive	50%	48%	44%^[16]	514	45+/-4%	+1%	+1%
	People Negative	2%	1%	<1%	514	2+/-1%	+1%	0%
	Government Positive	45%	42%	42%	514	44+/-4%	+2%	-1%
	Government Negative	2%	2%	1%	514	2+/-1%	+1%	0%
United Kingdom	People Positive	38%	38%	40%	508	45+/-4%	+5%^[16]	+8%
	People Negative	6%	6%	4%	508	6+/-2%	+2%	-6%
	Government Positive	33%	36%	35%	508	37+/-4%	+2%	-8%
	Government Negative	12%	12%	10%	508	12+/-3%	+2%	+6%
Australia	People Positive	46%	44%	46%	541	43+/-4%	-3%	+7%
	People Negative	5%	3%	2%	541	3+/-1%	+1%	-2%
	Government Positive	42%	39%	39%	541	36+/-4%	-3%	-7%
	Government Negative	4%	3%	2%	541	5+/-2%	+3%^[16]	+2%
South Korea	People Positive	38%	40%	35%^[16]	553	42+/-4%	+7%^[16]	+11%
	People Negative	7%	7%	5%	553	7+/-2%	+2%	-4%
	Government Positive	31%	30%	25%^[16]	553	31+/-4%	+6%^[16]	-11%
	Government Negative	11%	12%	10%	553	11+/-3%	+1%	+4%
Thailand	People Positive	30%	35%^[16]	27%^[16]	511	37+/-4%	+10%^[16]	+20%
	People Negative	24%^[16]	17%^[16]	14%	511	9+/-3%	-5%^[16]	-20%
	Government Positive	8%^[16]	15%^[16]	12%	511	17+/-3%	+5%^[16]	-20%
	Government Negative	50%^[16]	41%^[16]	33%^[16]	511	29+/-4%	-4%	+20%
USA	People Positive	33%	35%	35%	524	35+/-4%	--	+18%
	People Negative	12%	10%	7%^[16]	524	12+/-3%	+5%^[16]	-28%
	Government Positive	21%^[16]	18%	16%	524	17+/-3%	+1%	-18%
	Government Negative	32%^[16]	39%^[16]	35%	524	40+/-4%	+5%^[16]	+28%
Germany	People Positive	33%	33%	32%	553	34+/-4%	+2%	+4%
	People Negative	2%	2%	2%	553	4+/-2%	+2%	-2%
	Government Positive	26%	28%	26%	553	30+/-4%	+4%	-4%
	Government Negative	2%	3%	3%	553	6+/-2%	+3%^[16]	+2%
France	People Positive	26%	28%	25%	507	27+/-4%	+2%	+13%
	People Negative	8%	7%	6%	507	7+/-2%	+1%	-9%
	Government Positive	16%	16%	13%	507	14+/-3%	+1%	-13%
	Government Negative	15%	14%	12%	507	16+/-3%	+4%^[16]	+9%
Italy	People Positive	26%	28%	20%^[16]	529	22+/-4%	+2%	+11%
	People Negative	4%	3%	6%^[16]	529	9+/-2%	+3%^[16]	-9%
	Government Positive	17%	17%	11%^[16]	529	11+/-3%	--	-11%
	Government Negative	9%	9%	13%^[16]	529	18+/-3%	+5%^[16]	+9%
The Philippines	People Positive	--	18%	--	506	17+/-3%	--	+14%
	People Negative	--	29%	--	506	36+/-4%	--	-43%
	Government Positive	--	2%	--	506	3+/-1%	--	-14%
	Government Negative	--	79%	--	506	79+/-4%	--	+43%
Russia^[17]	People Positive	18%	--	16%	--	--	--	--
	People Negative	7%	--	5%	--	--	--	--
	Government Positive	11%	--	11%	--	--	--	--
	Government Negative	22%	--	18%	--	--	--	--

[12] All error figures in the table are calculated at 95% confidence level. "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. Media can state "sampling error of percentages not more than +/-4% at 95% confidence level" when quoting the above figures. The error margin of previous survey can be found at the POP Site.
[13] Collapsed from a 5-point scale.
[14] The sample size for each question varies, but has been controlled to no less than 500. Corresponding sampling errors have all been given.
[15] Comparison made with survey findings of 12-16/5/11.
[16] Such changes have gone beyond the sampling errors at the 95% confidence level, meaning that they are statistically significant prima facie. However, whether numerical differences are statistically significant or not is not the same as whether they are practically useful or meaningful.
[17] Russia is not the top 12 regions and countries most frequently mentioned in the naming stage this time.

Our latest findings showed that, as regards the results of people's feeling towards different peoples, 53% felt positive towards Hong Kong people themselves while 8% felt negative. For the other cross-strait regions, the corresponding positive figures for the Mainland, Taiwan and Macau peoples were 23%, 49% and 44%, while the corresponding negative figures were 33%, 5% and 3%. As for the peoples of other regions and countries, the positive figures for Singapore, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and South Korea were highest, with 56%, 55%, 45%, 45%, 43% and 42% respectively, while those for Thailand, the United States, Germany, France and Italy were 37%, 35%, 34%, 27% and 22% correspondingly. Lastly, only 17% expressed positive feelings towards the people of the Philippines.

Regarding the results of people's feeling towards different governments, 40% felt positive towards the HKSAR government while 25% felt negative. For the other cross-strait governments, the corresponding positive figures for the Mainland, Taiwan and Macau governments were 33%, 28% and 45%, while the corresponding negative figures were 28%, 19% and 9%. As for other governments, the positive figures for Singapore and Canada were 55% and 44% correspondingly, while those for the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea, Germany and Japan were 37%, 36%, 31%, 30% and 27% correspondingly, those for the United States, Thailand, France and Italy were 17%, 17%, 14% and 11% correspondingly. Lastly, only 3% expressed positive feelings towards the government of the Philippines.

Opinion Daily

In January 2007, POP opened a feature page called "Opinion Daily" at the "POP Site", to record significant events and selected polling figures on a day-to-day basis, in order to let readers judge by themselves the reasons for the ups and downs of different opinion figures. In July 2007, POP collaborated with Wisers Information Limited whereby Wisers supplies to POP each day starting from July 24, a record of significant events of that day, according to the research method designed by POP. These daily entries would be uploaded to "Opinion Daily" as soon as they are verified by POP.

For the polling items covered in this press release, the previous survey was conducted from May 12 to 16, 2011 while this survey was conducted from November 23 to December 1, 2011. During this period, herewith the significant events selected from counting newspaper headlines and commentaries on a daily basis and covered by at least 25% of the local newspaper articles. Readers can make their own judgment if these significant events have any impacts to different polling figures.

12/11/11	President Hu Jintao has reminded the SAR Government to get prepared for financial crisis.
27/10/11	Eurozone leaders have forged some solutions for credit crisis.
20/10/11	Former Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi was killed.
15/10/11	The "Occupy Wall Street" movement that began in the US spread over the world.
6/10/11	Steve Jobs passed away.
22/9/11	The US Federal Reserve's fresh pledge to cut borrowing costs
8/8/11	Global stock markets slid to their lowest level in recent years.
23/7/11	Two high-speed rail trains collided and derailed at Wenzhou and resulted in deaths and injuries.
12/7/11	The European debt crisis affected global stock market.
4/6/11	Li Na becomes the first Chinese to claim her first tennis Grand Slam title.
28/5/11	Food and drinks from Taiwan contain a cancer-causing plastic additive.
21/5/11	Premier Wen Jiabao visits Japan's quake-hit area.

Commentary

Note: The following commentary was written by Director of POP Robert Chung.

Our latest survey shows that Hong Kong people feel much more positively about other peoples than their governments, with the exception of Mainland China and Macau. Regarding the four cross-strait societies, Hong Kong people's positive feeling towards Taiwan people is 21 percentage points higher than that of the Taiwan government, that towards fellow Hong Kong people is 13 percentage points higher than that towards the Hong Kong SAR Government. However, their positive feeling towards Macau people is 1 percentage point lower than that towards the Macau government, that towards the Mainland Chinese people is 10 percentage points lower than that towards the Mainland Chinese government.

As for countries and regions outside the cross-strait regions, Hong Kong people's positive feeling towards the people of Japan is 28 percentage points higher than their government, that towards the people of Thailand is 20 percentage points higher than their government, that towards the people of the United States is 18 percentage points higher than their government, that towards the people of the Philippines is 14 percentage points higher than their government, while that towards the people of France is 13 percentage points higher than their government. In terms of absolute percentages and ranked by net values, Hong Kong people seem to dislike the governments of the Philippines, the United States, Thailand, Italy, Japan and France whereas they seem to like all peoples rather than dislike them, except with the people of Mainland China and the Philippines. These findings are worth studying by various governments.

It should be noted that compared to half a year ago, Hong Kong people's positive feeling towards fellow Hong Kong people and SAR government have surged by 14 and 20 percentage points respectively, back to the level registered in May 2008. Moreover, people's negative feeling towards the Mainland Chinese people, and their positive feeling towards Taiwan people, are both at their new high since 2007. These findings are also worth studying. As for other reasons affecting the ups and downs of various figures, readers can make their own judgment using detailed records shown in our "Opinion Daily" feature page. It should be noted, however, that our survey only covers regions and countries best known to Hong Kong people. Hong Kong people may well like or dislike other places much more, but because they are not the most well-known places, they do not appear on the list by design.

Future Release (Tentative)

December 13, 2011 (Tuesday) 1pm to 2pm: Popularity of CE and Principal Officials