Title

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

Authors

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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