This is a survey conducted in May by LeoJ.Shapiro & Associates, L.L.C, a market consultation company headquartered in Chicago, which carries out a poll each month across the United States and question 450 consumers selected at random.

When asked "with economic globalization which country do you think being of most importance for the US people?" Seventy percent gave their answers. Forty-four percent of them indicated China first, then Japan (13 percent lower than China), and the following were Mexico, the United Kingdom, Europe and Canada.

What's interesting is: among these people polled, less than 5 percent have ever been to China, and the Chinese cities known to them are limited to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. While talking about the role China played in economic globalization, they gave very good analysis.

Although many of them attributed China's important role to its "huge population" and "cheap labors", more and more Americans began to realize China's advanced science, technology and productivity. Eleven percent surveyed said China is a country with developed technology, a big change from the past. What's more, all those put China at first said they were deeply impressed by Chinese products, some even said almost all their daily necessities were made in China.

Why Chinese products turned out attractive to American consumers? That is, good quality at low prices. Thirty percent polled thought Chinese commodities were cheap, and 31 percent mentioned good quality. Also 20 percent said Chinese workers were of good technique and rich experience.

Today, with economic globalization tending to speed up, world economies have become more dependent on each other. With more countries in the world to benefit from Chinese products there would be more and more people concerned with China's progress and development.

(People's Daily June 14, 2002)