Patrick Boehler of the South China Morning Post reports that new research by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences showed that conservatives outnumber liberals in Chinese cities:
Some 38.1 per cent of those surveyed held more conservative values, were more critical of overall individualism and leaned towards the “left”, a term that commonly refers to those more patriotic, according to the study by scholar Zhang Mingshu, director of the political culture research centre at the academy.
Only 8 per cent leaned to the “right”, supporting more individual freedoms and a smaller government, and were more critical towards the Communist Party’s legacy. The rest of those polled were categorised as centrists, neither left nor right.
“I was surprised,” Zhang told the Guangzhou-based liberal newspaper Southern Weekly. “But if you calmly look around you – not only among intellectuals, but also in your hometown, if you go on the streets – you’ll see that this ratio is fundamentally accurate.”
Zhang surveyed 1,750 adult urban residents across the nation on their political views, their attitudes towards participating in politics and their knowledge about politics.
