in New York

Americans tend to believe that China wants to create a new world order to knock the United States off its perch, but the results of a survey released this week suggest Chinese people are far more nuanced and flexible in this view, providing avenues to reduce US-China tension, experts said on Wednesday.

Thesurvey of ordinary Chinese, by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and The Carter Centre, depicts a public that is optimistic about their nation’s future, economy, military and culture.

They also regard their country as the greatest in the world – a view on ample display during this week’smilitary parade marking the 80th anniversary of China’s victory against the Japanese and the end of World War II.

“There was a lot more subtlety in the data with a plurality, 48 per cent, saying that China’s interested in a shared leadership role,” according to Paul Heer, a senior fellow with the Chicago Council and former intelligence officer.

“Shared leadership implies an acceptance of peaceful coexistence withthe United States and the West. I think the Chinese are curious. They’re still sceptical that we’re still interested in them,” he said.

But authors of the survey also cautioned that some of their findings were likely to have been influenced by self-censorship and concern that the conversation was being monitored.