Trust in China dips further in SWS poll

DESPITE PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte’s shift in Philippine foreign policy toward the People’s Republic of China, trust in the Asian power suffered a 13 point decline as shown in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) Survey covering the period of March 25-28, while trust in traditional ally the United States also declined but still in the “very good” range.

The Third Quarter 2016 Social Weather Survey, using face- to- face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide, had sampling error margins of ±3% margin for national percentages and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Besides China, Russia has also been a keen focus of Mr. Duterte’s foreign policy shift. “Prior to March 2017, net trust in Russia had been positive only once, when it reached a record-high neutral +9 in December 2016. It fell by 3 points to a neutral +6 (35% much trust, 29% little trust) in March 2017,” SWS said.

“Net trust in China has been positive in only 8 out of 42 surveys since SWS first surveyed it in August 1994, reaching as high as moderate +17 in June 2010 and as low as bad -46 in September 2015,” the poll noted, adding that “China’s latest net trust score of a neutral -4 (34% much trust, 38% little trust) is a 13-point decline from the neutral +9 in December 2016.”

The results yielded a -4% net trust in China which deemed “neutral,” a 13-point decline from the December 2016’s +9% trust rating.

Sought for comment, Executive Director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform Ramon C. Casiple said of China’s rating: “Mataas pa rin sya (It’s still high), from the -33% in 3rd quarter of 2016.”

He added that trust in China has always been swinging to both sides: “Wild ang fluctuations ng China.”

The United States received its lowest net trust rating since +35 in March 2010, even while remaining in the “very good” category at +56, from +72, +66, and +59 in June, September, and December last year.

Of the latest figure, 70% of Filipinos have “much trust” in the US, while 17% are “undecided” and 13% have “little trust” in the US.

“Net trust in United States has been positive since SWS first surveyed it in December 1994, ranging from a moderate +18 in May 2005 to an excellent +82 in December 2013,” the SWS noted.

Australia and Japan maintained “good” trust ratings with Filipinos, with Japan posting a steady increase of +34, +37, and +42 in the September and December 2016 surveys and the March 2017 survey.

Besides the Philippines’ traditional and relatively new partners, France and North Korea were included in the poll, which showed the former having a net trust of +18 in March (from -1 in October 2000) and the latter, a net trust of -5 (from -7 in December 2014).