78% believe Philippines relationship with US more important than with China: SWS

December 8, 2019

Seventy-eight percent of Filipinos believed that Philippines’ relationship with the United States is more important than with China, according to the latest report of Social Weather Station ( SWS).

Released on Saturday, SWS found that 78 percent of Filipinos said the Philippines’ relationship with the US is more important than its relationship with China, while 12 percent said the country’s relationship with China is more important than its relationship with the US.

“Those with little trust in China value the Philippines’ relationship with the US more than its relationship with China,” SWS said.

It added among those with little trust in China, 84 percent say the Philippines’ relationship with the US is more important.

It is higher than the 75 percent who are still undecided about their trust in China and 69 percent for those with much trust with China.

SWS added that the proportion of those who say the Philippines’ relationship with the US is more important than its relationship with China is 84 percent among those with much trust in the US, higher than the 57 percent who are still undecided about their trust with US and 55 percent among those with little trust with US.

The survey showed the proportion of those who consider the Philippines’ relationship with the US to be more important than its relationship with China is highest in Balance Luzon at 83 percent, followed by Metro Manila at 79 percent, the Visayas at 77 percent, and Mindanao at 67 percent.

Meanwhile, SWS also found that 52 percent of adult Filipinos said it is possible for the Philippines to have a good relationship with both China and US at the same time while 41 percent said it is not possible, while 7 percent did not have an answer.

“Those with much trust in China have stronger belief that the Philippines can have a good relationship with both China and the US at the same time,” SWS said.

It said 21 percent of Filipinos trust China while 32 percent are undecided and 54 percent does not trust China.

At the same time, 80 percent of Filipinos trust US while 11 percent undecided and eight percent have little trust.

“Among those with much trust in China, 67 percent say it is possible for the Philippines to have a good relationship with both China and the US at the same time, higher than the 49 percent who say so among those who are undecided about their trust in China, and the 48 percent among those with little trust in China,” SWS said.

“The proportion of those who believe that the Philippines can have a good relationship with both China and the US hardly vary at 53 percent among those with much trust in the US, and at 50 percent among those who are undecided about their trust in the US. However, it is slightly lower at 45 percent among those with little trust in the US,” it added.

The latest SWS survey was conducted from September 27-30, 2019 using face-to-face interviews of 1,800 adults nationwide where 600 came in Balance Luzon and Mindanao, and 300 in Metro Manila and the Visayas. Ella Dionisio/DMS