Towards the Global South or the West? The cognitive map of a rising power

Prevailing debates on global order posit a structural contest between a Western core and a rising Global South. China plays a unique role in this narrative, championing the cause of the Global South, while remaining deeply integrated into Western-led economic and institutional systems. How do ordinary Chinese citizens – not the state – perceive this geopolitical landscape, and what are their alignment preferences? Recent surveys have documented Chinese attitudes towards major foreign policy issues, yet have not directly examined these questions. Drawing on an original survey in which respondents evaluate 22 countries from both the West and the Global South, we test two competing logics: a bifurcated worldview and a pragmatic worldview. Our findings show that public perceptions in China do not conform to a simple West–Global South dichotomy: the majority of respondents prioritise cultivating relations with both spheres equally. A further asymmetry emerges: warmer views of Western countries predict prioritising relations with the West, whereas warmer views of Global South countries mainly reinforce the modal view that both relations are equally important. These findings indicate that the Chinese public holds a pragmatic cognitive map of world politics, shaped by both geopolitical contexts and mundane expectations of economic, cultural and institutional engagement.