Too Far, Too Close: Religious Affiliations and Asians' Perceptions of US and China's Influence

    Authors

    M. Kim

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Int. Stud. Perspect.

    Keywords

    China; United States; influence in Asia; religious affiliation; International Relations

    Abstract

    This article examines the impact of sociopolitical and spiritual factors on Asians' perceptions of US and China's influence. From the 2003 AsiaBarometer survey, seven Asian countries with diverse socioeconomic and religious components are analyzedIndia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Uzbekistan. Multilevel estimates reveal that (i) individuals from the seven nations show fewer similarities than do members of different religious institutions concerning US and China's influence in the region; (ii) only Muslims strongly oppose US influence in the region, while other religious affiliations do not wield any significant explanatory power. Contrastingly, individuals affiliated with religions positively perceive China's influence; (iii) sociopolitical contentment substantially boosts favorable perception about the United States and China; and (iv) spiritual perseverance discourages approval of the United States and China, but not trust in religious organizations.

    Journal Title

    International Studies Perspectives

    Volume

    14

    Issue/Number

    1

    Publication Date

    1-1-2013

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    56

    Last Page

    78

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000314477800004

    ISSN

    1528-3577

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