MANILA, Philippines — A large majority of Filipinos continue to distrust China as its aggression escalates in the West Philippine Sea, according to a survey conducted by the OCTA Research group.
The March 11 to 14 survey released yesterday showed that 91 percent of the respondents distrust China, almost similar to the 90 percent obtained in a similar survey in December 2023.
The latest figure is composed of 52 percent who said they have “no trust at all” and 39 percent who do not have much trust in the Asian nation.
Only eight percent said they have a “fair amount of trust” in China, while none of the respondents said they have a “great deal” of trust.
Trust in China in the first quarter of the year was almost similar to the nine percent obtained in December 2023.
According to OCTA, the upward trend in distrust of China started in February 2022, when it dipped to 61 percent.
The 91 percent obtained in the latest survey was the highest since the firm started conducting such polls in 2021.
Across areas, distrust of China was highest among those in Metro Manila at 94 percent, followed by those in the rest of Luzon and the Visayas at 92 percent and Mindanao at 86 percent, respectively.
It was also highest among socio-economic class D at 92 percent, followed by those in class E at 91 percent and class ABC at 82 percent.
On Wednesday, OCTA also released survey results showing that 76 percent of Filipino adult respondents see China as the greatest threat to the Philippines.
OCTA’s non-commissioned Tugon ng Masa survey had 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus three percent for national percentages.