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Get Flash Player The annual BBC World Service GlobeScan survey results were released last week. This survey of more than 26,000 respondents asked if a country's influence in the world was "mostly positive" or "mostly negative". China ranked 9th just after the US but its positives dropped 8 percent to 42 percent "mostly positive" and negatives rose 8 percent to 39 percent "mostly negative". After several years of improvement, positive views of China's influence in the world have dropped to their lowest levels since polling began in 2005. According to an op-ed piece in the New York Times in March by China watcher David Shambaugh, European attitudes about China have been the most negative for much of the last decade but now they are joined by the US and Asia. China's focus on Africa and Latin America and the physical presence of many Chinese workers there have not resulted in the goodwill China envisioned. In my own country, the US, people don't hate China or the Chinese people but are deeply suspicious of the government, especially in light of numerous recent allegations of cyber-espionage aimed at US military, NGO and civilian targets. China has had some notable successes in the exercise of its soft power through cultural diplomacy. I visited the Shaolin Temple in Henan province in March. Thanks to their kung fu, Shaolin has become one of China's best known brands as their monks tour the globe astounding people with their amazing feats. So too for Chinese acrobats and gymnasts. The nascent but growing trend of Hollywood-Chinese co-productions will eventually have an impact too. | 
