SUMMARY

MANILA, Philippines – A March 2024 survey by OCTA Research painted a bleak picture of Philippines-China relations, at least in the realm of public perception. The survey, held in mid-March 2024, showed that 91% of adult Filipinos “distrust” China. 

Surveys are a snapshot of a moment in time – in this case, the immediate aftermath of a March 5 water cannon incident that left four Filipinos hurt, preceded by months of heightened tensions in the West Philippine Sea that saw Beijing wield its coast guard water cannons against much smaller Philippine ships. 

Near total distrust towards China of the Filipino population is not new. According to OCTA, it “[continues an] upward trend since February 2022,” or the last time the survey firm tracked a rise in trust towards China. (Importan…

Source:https://www.rappler.com/philippines/view-manila-trust-china-survey-2024/