Asia & the Pacific

Economic Concerns Pervasive in Japan

Growing numbers of people in several major European countries say they have an unfavorable opinion of Jews, and opinions of Muslims also are more negative than they were several years ago. These findings are from a new Pew Global Attitudes Project report, based on data gathered from 24 countries from regions throughout the world, that examine worldwide religiosity and take a close look at Muslim publics’ attitudes toward terrorism, Osama bin Laden, Hamas, Hezbollah and more.

James Fallows writes in the current Atlantic Monthly about the power of blogging... in rural China.

Publics around the world are showing signs of apprehension about China's growing economic power, its role in foreign affairs and the safety of the products it exports; but the Chinese people are confident that the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing will change the way their country is viewed.

Media focus in China turned away weeks ago from the May 12 earthquake to the Beijing Olympics, which begin in just a few days.

About nine-in-ten (89%) Chinese identify the gap between rich and poor as a major problem and 41% cite it as a very big problem.

Seven-in-ten Chinese now say that people are better off in a free market economy, even though this means some may be rich while others are poor

The 2008 Pew Global Attitudes survey in China finds that more than eight-in-ten Chinese are satisfied with their country’s overall direction and their national economy, a significant increase in contentment from earlier in the decade. But levels of personal satisfaction are generally lower than the national measures, and the poll suggests the Chinese people - who express concern about inflation and pollution - may be struggling with the consequences of economic growth.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has assembled a variety of resources on religion in China and Asia, including reports, event transcripts, polling data and news clips. Pew Forum Resources China Report Religion in China on the Eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympics May 2, 2008 Senior Fellow Brian Grim examines the religious […]

People say the Chinese internet is mostly an entertainment network. But looking at what happened online during the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake reveals a Chinese internet with a depth and soul and much, much more.