Japan came in second as an "important partner for the future" in a recent opinion poll conducted among people living in member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The Foreign Ministry's annual survey showed a plurality of respondents, or 48%, chose China as an important partner from among the Group of 20 nations, followed by 43% choosing Japan.
It was the first time since a 2008 survey that China surpassed Japan. In the previous survey in 2019, 51% of respondents chose Japan, while 48% chose China. China's deepening economic ties with ASEAN countries in recent years likely impacted the outcome.
