Most Chinese netizens see US as bully, survey shows

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Almost 90 percent of Chinese netizens believe the United States is a hegemon and bully in the Ukraine issue, according to a survey conducted by the Weibo account of Huanqiu.

On March 30, a series of surveys was launched in which people were asked questions such as "What's the role of the US in the Ukraine issue", "How to view the US threat of sanctioning China", and what they think of the "US Indo-Pacific Strategy".

Based on the 12,000 responses received by April 7, 89.2 percent of the respondents believe the US is a hegemon and bully in the Ukraine issue. Only 5.6 percent, or 672 people, think the US is fair and just, while 5.2 percent said they are not sure, according to the Global Times.

During the crisis, the US and NATO have intensified the conflict by threatening to impose sanctions on China.

Of the 7,347 people who responded to that issue, 92.2 percent believe the US' threat of sanctioning China represents bullying and coercive behavior that cannot conceal its real intention. Only 4.2 percent believe the US aims to end the conflict and promote peace, and 3.6 percent said they are not clear on the issue.

In February, the White House released the US' Indo-Pacific Strategy, which attracted much attention.

People were also asked whether they think the US' Indo-Pacific Strategy is an Indo-Pacific version of NATO.Of the 5,856 people who responded to that issue, 5,207, or 89 percent, said "yes". Just 6.2 percent said "no", while 4.8 percent said they were unclear on the issue, according to the results released by the Global Times.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday that the ins and outs of how the Ukraine issue has evolved into what it is today are very clear. Zhao said the moves by the US-led NATO had pushed the Russia-Ukraine tensions to a breaking point.

He made the remarks while commenting on the poll.

Instead of taking practical actions to ease the situation, the US has been constantly adding fuel to the fire, heightening tensions, coercing others to pick sides, and creating a chilling effect of "friend or foe", Zhao said.

He pointed out that the US has disseminated disinformation to smear China and distorted China's responsible position of facilitating peace talks. The US has also attempted to shift the blame onto others, stoke confrontation, profit from the situation, and seek space for its plot to simultaneously suppress China and Russia.

Holding on to the Cold War mentality, the US is obsessed with drawing ideological lines when forming closed and exclusive cliques and stoking opposition and confrontation. The real agenda is to prolong its hegemony and pursue power politics, Zhao said.

Under the guise of democracy, freedom and human rights, the US instigates "color revolutions" that provoke regional disputes, and even wages wars against other countries with the intention to cash in on the resulting instability for huge economic gains and geopolitical advantages, Zhao said.

He said the country also willfully wields the stick of unilateral sanctions to engage in economic coercion that severely undermines the stability of global industrial and supply chains. Such moves are aimed at suppressing and containing other countries.

The US is selective in applying the rules of international law and international order, and the "rules-based order" touted by it is in essence a set of rules that suits its acolytes.

As peace and development present an overriding trend and gain the overwhelming support, the hegemonic and bullying acts of the US go against the trend of the times and have triggered increasingly strong opposition from the international community, Zhao said.

Xinhua contributed to this story.