By ZHANG YUNBI
Generation Z youths from around the world now perceive China and the United States as “the two most influential nations in international affairs” and in future global economic performance, and many of them believe the two countries will jointly lead future scientific and technological breakthroughs, according to a latest survey.
Titled “The World Through the Eyes of Gen Z”, the Global Youth Survey Research Report was jointly issued by China Daily’s Generation Z Research Center and Social Media Research Institute, as well as Xi’an Jiaotong University’s School of Journalism and New Media on Friday.
The report surveyed 12,400 young people representing a total of 31 countries from Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Oceania, in July and August.
In each of the surveyed countries such as Japan, France, Canada, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Kenya and Australia, 400 respondents answered questions about their views on global affairs, relative influence of nations, as well as their personal perceptions of, and interest in, China.
Experts said the report helps outline how the Gen Z individuals —— who were born between 1995 and 2009 — will respond to different countries’ performance in global governance and how they will shape future international relations, cultural communication and economic growth.
“Gen Z ranks the following countries/country groupings in order of their influence on international affairs: the US, China, Russia, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Japan,” said the report.
Nearly half (49.07 percent) of the respondents believe China — followed by the US (29.27 percent) — will be the primary driving force of the global economy over the next decade.
Gen Z has witnessed China’s rise to become the world’s second-largest economy and its pioneering growth in technology fields such as 5G, artificial intelligence and e-commerce, “and that is why they hold strong confidence in China’s future economic development”, said the report.
The economic influence of traditional developed countries and economies such as the EU, Japan and the UK “has significantly declined in the eyes of Gen Z”, it said.
In the question about future leaders in specific tech areas, the nine surveyed sectors were new energy, aerospace, quantum, AI, high-speed railways, humanoid robots, 6G communications, electric vehicles and biopharmaceuticals. The five economies coming out on top in these areas were China, the EU, Japan, the UK and the US.
Respondents believe China will dominate applied technologies in eight of the sectors including new energy, AI, 6G and EVs, while the US will maintain its leadership in aerospace.
According to the survey, Japan has secured second place in high-precision manufacturing sectors — high-speed rail and humanoid robotics — while the EU and UK are believed to face a more marginalized future influence in technology.
Li Shu, dean of the School of Information and Communication at Communication University of China in Beijing, said Gen Z has grown up alongside the prosperity of the internet , making them the first generation of “digital natives” and “a generation thriving on self-expression”.
“The openness and decentralized nature of the internet has fostered Gen Z’s spirit of active expression and inclusiveness,” she said.
For a better world
When it comes to their views on the relative national strength and foreign policy of China and the US, the polled Gen Z youth “generally perceive China and the US as evenly matched in national strength, while each of them holds their own advantages in specific domains”.
Among the key aspects for choice, China received more recognition for its comparative strength in “economic development”, “historical and cultural heritage” and “scientific and technological innovation”, while the US maintains its traditional strengths in “foreign policy” and “global affairs”.
However, neither of the two countries outdo one another drastically in most domains surveyed, which the report said “reflects the balanced perspective of the younger generation amid a multipolar world order”.
When asked about their take on the influence of the two countries’ foreign policies toward global peace and stability, China has garnered more positive assessments — 48.12 percent approval over 37.61 percent for the US.
According to the report of another poll conducted by researchers at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace earlier this year on what Gen Z in the US think about their country’s foreign policy, “Although the coming-of-age generation is broadly internationalist, most prefer a more modest US role in the world, including with China, Israel and Ukraine.”
Wang Dong, professor and executive director of Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding at Peking University, has been an earnest participant and advocate for exchanges of students between China and the US, and he noted that “younger Americans hold more positive views of China” than their elders.
“They have an objective understanding of China’s strength and are more willing to engage in China-US exchanges, while maintaining a relatively objective, comprehensive and fair perspective on bilateral relations,” he said.
“When this generation becomes the mainstay of the voters and eventually assumes office as officials in charge of China policy, Sino-US relations may witness positive changes,” he added.
Regarding China’s interactions with the rest of the world, the survey shows that among various China-related elements, “tourist destinations” hold the strongest appeal for Gen Z youth from worldwide.
“Compared to traditional cultural symbols such as literature and art, China holds greater appeal for global youth in modern pop culture such as film, television, games and apps,” the report said.
Tourism is the most prominent factor driving global Gen Z to visit China, while plans for personal development such as work, study and academic exchanges also account for a significant proportion among driving factors.
Among them, highly educated youth have more diverse purposes for visiting China, viewing the country as a vital platform for development and exchange, the report said.
“Nearly half of Gen Z are aware of China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy”, and “over half of surveyed Gen Z plan to visit China or learn about this policy”, the report added.
Dong Guanpeng, vice-chairman of the China Public Relations Association, said Chinese citizens, especially Chinese Gen Z, need to become great storytellers to help the world better understand China.
“We should base our communications on facts, deliver true feelings and spread the value — jointly building a community with a shared future for humanity,” Dong said.