Opinion: The Chinese Who?

“The American public,” said a report issued last week by the Council on Foreign Relations, “is not well informed about China.”

That is hardly the half of it—at least according to a survey of 1,501 people done for the council, a nonprofit institution (board chairman: John J. McCloy), by the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center.

When asked, “What kind of government does most of China have now?” or “Do you happen to know if there is any Communist government in China now?”, an incredible 28% indicated that they did not know. Moreover, 39% did not know of the existence of the Nationalist Chinese government. Of those who were aware of the two Chinas, 62% opposed U.S. help to the Nationalists in an attack against the mainland. Seventy-five percent favored the U.S.’s remaining in the United Nations when and if the Chinese Communists are admitted; only 5% would want the U.S. to withdraw.

Shifting its sights to the south, the survey asked: “Have you happened to hear anything about the fighting in Viet Nam?” An astonishing 25% said no.