A recent survey conducted by Pulse Asia on Filipinos’ trust on the five most powerful countries in the world has showed that majority of the respondents trust the United States and Japan and distrust China and Russia.
The survey conducted among 1,200 respondents from December 6 to 11 found out that 76 and 70 percent of Filipinos trust the United States and Japan, respectively.
China and Russia had 38 percent trust ratings. Great Britain has a higher trust rating than China and Russia with 39 percent.
Sixty one percent distrust China followed by Russia (58 percent), Great Britain (55 percent), Japan (29 percent), and United States (23 percent).
Pulse Asia said the US and Japan had trust ratings of 69 to 83 percent and 58 to 76 percent, respectively, in Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
Great Britain, China, and Russia, had 26 to 55 percent, 33 to 47 percent, and 28 to 50 percent trust ratings, respectively, in the four areas.
Trust in the US and Japan was high in socio-economic classes A, B, C, D, and E from 74 to 82 percent and 62 percent to 83 percent, followed by Great Britain (52 to 62 percent), Russia (56 to 65 percent), and China (49 to 70 percent).
The survey also revealed that Filipinos trust the United Nations more than the European Union. UN received a trust rating of 74 percent while EU had 50 percent.
According to Pulse Asia, the survey showed that Filipinos still trust the United States despite President Duterte’s pivot to its rivals China and Russia.
The survey came out as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is visiting the country this week.
(Vanne Elaine P. Terrazola)
