TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan is the seventh most favorite country among Americans, according to a survey by the Gallup polling organization.
The latest poll ranked 21 countries and territories according to their popularity with the public in the United States between February 1 and 5, the company said.
“North Korea remains least popular country among Americans,” the article on its website headlines, with Canada, Great Britain and Japan leading the list. Countries with a rating of more than 80 percent are considered to be the “most favorable” group, which also includes France and Germany.
The top country with a “favorable” image is India with 74 percent, with Taiwan following close behind at 73 percent, ahead of Israel and the Philippines with 71 percent each.
There was no detailed explanation why Taiwan was rated at No.7 on the list. Its result was split up between 13 percent of respondents who had a “very favorable” perception of Taiwan, 60 percent who said “mostly favorable,” 16 percent “mostly unfavorable,” 3 percent “very unfavorable,” and 8 percent who said they had no opinion on the matter.
China was placed in the “mixed” category, having received 50 percent of favorable opinions against 48 percent unfavorable ones.
North Korea finished last, receiving 11 percent of favorable ratings against 86 percent unfavorable ones, with the survey having been held before the violent death of Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The Gallup survey was based on telephone interviews with 1,035 adults aged over 18 in all of the U.S. states and the District of Columbia, with a margin of error at about 4 percent.
