日本成為亞洲「最被信頼的國家」

A few weeks ago the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

「最も信頼できる国」日本３３％、中韓５％以下

2014年04月20日 09時03分

　外務省が東南アジア諸国連合（ＡＳＥＡＮ）の７か国で行った世論調査によると、「最も信頼できる国」に日本を挙げた人は３３％で、トップだった。

　米国は１６％で２位、中国は５％、韓国は２％だった。

　「ＡＳＥＡＮ諸国にとって現在重要なパートナーはどの国か」との質問（複数回答可）でも、１位が日本（６５％）で、以下、中国（４８％）、米国（４７％）が続いた。２００８年の前回調査では１位が中国だった。

　安倍政権が掲げる積極的平和主義については、「アジア地域の平和維持に役立つ」と肯定的な評価をした人が９割に上った。

　外務省は「安倍首相が就任後にＡＳＥＡＮ全１０か国を訪問し、日本のＡＳＥＡＮ重視の姿勢が浸透した表れではないか」と分析している。

　調査は３月、外務省の委託を受けた香港の調査会社がインドネシア、マレーシア、フィリピン、シンガポール、タイ、ベトナム、ミャンマーの１８歳以上の国民を対象に、オンライン方式で実施。計２１４４人が回答した。

(試譯文)

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs an opinion poll performed in seven countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), 33% of the people mentioned Japan as "a country that can be trusted most" and that it was at top.

The U.S. was 16% at the 2nd place, China was 5% and South Korea was 2%.

Also on the question (multiple answers allowed) "which country is a partner important for ASEAN countries now", the 1st place was Japan (65%), and followed by China (48%) and the U.S. (47%). In the last investigation of 2008, at the 1st place was China.

About the active pacifism which the Abe Administration was up holding, the people who gave a positive evaluation to the statement that "it is useful for peacekeeping in the Asian region" went up to 90 percent.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs analyzed that "it is due to the visits to a total of ten ASEAN countries by Prime Minister Abe after he took office; it is the manifestation of the penetration of the posture that Japan was paying attention to the ASEAN".

A surveying firm in Hong Kong accepted the trust of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to conduct this investigation through an on-line system in March at people aged 18 and over in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar. A total of 2,144 people had responded.

The result of this survey is not surprising.