A recent survey conducted by the OCTA Research group showed that a large majority of Filipinos continue to distrust China as tensions escalate in the West Philippine Sea. The survey, which took place from March 11 to 14, revealed that 91 percent of respondents expressed distrust towards China. This percentage is almost identical to the results of a similar survey conducted in December 2023.
Of the 91 percent who distrust China, 52 percent stated that they have “no trust at all,” while 39 percent said they do not have much trust in the Asian nation. Only eight percent of respondents reported having a “fair amount of trust” in China, with none indicating a “great deal” of trust.
The survey findings also indicated that the level of distrust towards China has been steadily increasing since February 2022 when it reached a low of 61 percent. The 91 percent distrust rate in the latest survey is the highest recorded since OCTA Research began conducting such polls in 2021.
Distrust of China was found to be highest among respondents in Metro Manila at 94 percent, followed by those in the rest of Luzon and the Visayas at 92 percent, and Mindanao at 86 percent. Additionally, socio-economic class D exhibited the highest level of distrust at 92 percent, followed by class E at 91 percent, and class ABC at 82 percent.
Another survey conducted by OCTA Research revealed that 76 percent of Filipino adult respondents view China as the greatest threat to the Philippines. The non-commissioned Tugon ng Masa survey involved 1,200 respondents and has a margin of error of plus/minus three percent for national percentages.
