This talk provides a candid account of how the Chinese citizenry currently thinks about the world. It draws upon findings from the Chinese Citizens’ Global Perception Surveys (CCGPS) conducted by the speaker. The CCGPS is an annual national survey looking at how the Chinese general public thinks about China’s current relations with major global actors, including, Australia, Canada, EU, France, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, the UK, and USA. The talk will examine four key areas of analytical interest: (1) Chinese citizens’ general perception on foreign relations and global security; (2) China’s global roles; (3) international trade and global governance; and, (4) outbound tourism, study abroad, international work and emigration preferences. The ultimate aim of the talk is to provide timely, data-driven evidence that can assist key stakeholders in developing targeted and considered strategies for enlightened and productive engagement with mainland China.

Reza Hasmath (PhD, Cambridge) is a full professor of political science at the University of Alberta, and the 2025 Fulbright Research Chair in Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California. He has previously held faculty positions in management, sociology, and political science at the Universities of Toronto, Melbourne, and Oxford. He has also worked for and advised global think tanks, consultancies, development agencies, and social organizations. His award-winning research examines how the behavior of emerging Chinese state and non-state actors potentially affect salient theories, practices, and assumptions in international affairs. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Civil Society and is the Foundation Editor of the Routledge Research on the Politics and Sociology of China book series.