Analysis

There is a consensus among thought leaders surveyed in Asia and Europe that their own countries should take significant risk to advance human rights in China.

On a scale of 1–10 where "10" means "worth putting other priorities at significant risk," the mean response from U.S. allies and partners overall is 6.23 (6.50 with respect to Hong Kong, 6.19 for Tibet and Xinjiang, and 6.01 for rights of dissidents in China).

On a scale of 1–10 where "10" means "worth putting other priorities at significant risk," the mean response from U.S. allies and partners overall is 6.23 (6.50 with respect to Hong Kong, 6.19 for Tibet and Xinjiang, and 6.01 for rights of dissidents in China).

Japan is the most willing to assume risk to protect human rights and civil liberties in Hong Kong (7.71) and to protect the rights of ethnic minorities in regions like Xinjiang or Tibet (7.00), while France is the most willing to take risks to protect the human rights of Chinese dissidents (7.46). Thought leaders in South Korea also reveal a strong commitment to human rights, in contrast to government policy that deemphasizes these issues.

Overall, the views of thought leaders in Asia and Europe on human rights policy toward China track closely with thought leaders in the United States.

That Japanese thought leaders place even higher emphasis on human rights than their European counterparts shows how important values-based-diplomacy has become to Japan, as well as the growing prospects for trilateral cooperation on human rights and democracy across U.S. alliances in Asia and Europe.

Among thought leaders surveyed in Asia and Europe, 65% think democracy is extremely important ("10" on the temperature scale) to the future success of their countries. The mean score for ASEAN countries was 8.50, but only 39% of survey respondents from ASEAN countries say democracy is extremely important ("10" on the temperature scale), reflecting the different levels of democratic consolidation and regime types within that sub-region.