China-Japan Relations at 20-Year Low: 87.7% of Chinese Unfavorable, 75% Expect Worsening Ties

Dec 2, 2024, 09:53 AM

A recent annual joint public opinion survey by Japan's Genron NPO and China's China International Communications Group (CICG) reveals a significant deterioration in mutual perceptions between Chinese and Japanese citizens, reaching the worst levels in two decades. Announced at the Beijing-Tokyo Forum on December 2 in Tokyo, the survey indicates that 87.7% of Chinese respondents hold unfavorable impressions of Japan, a 24.8 percentage point increase from the previous year, and 89% of Japanese respondents feel similarly toward China. Notably, 75% of Chinese believe that Japan-China relations will worsen in the future, and 76% state that current relations are "bad," levels comparable to those during Japan's nationalization of the Senkaku Islands. Factors contributing to the worsening sentiments include disputes over Taiwan and the Senkaku Islands, the detention of Japanese nationals in China, and Japan's release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean. The findings suggest that the deterioration of feelings toward each other is widespread and may lead to further decline in bilateral relations. Genron NPO stated that negative perceptions are "spreading comprehensively" among Chinese citizens.