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(Chicago, IL) – When U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits Indonesia this week she’ll find attitudes toward the United States are less positive compared with the other major powers in Asia but more positive compared with other Muslim countries.

These findings are based on a recent survey by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs in partnership with the East Asia Institute.  Data from the survey conducted in six countries (China, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, and Vietnam) were compiled for a first-of-its-kind soft power index based on a variety of indicators. The index shows that U.S. soft power – the ability to wield influence by attraction rather than coercion –is larger than expected and the Obama administration can use it to strengthen its relationship with Indonesia.

”As the world’s most populous Muslim country, Indonesia is a crucial stop on Hillary Clinton’s Asia trip” said Thomas Wright, Executive Director of Studies at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.  “Indonesians have mixed feelings about the United States. The Obama administration can grasp this opportunity to open a new era in U.S. relations with the Muslim world.”

Findings from the survey of the Indonesian public include:

• A majority (58%) of Indonesians believe overall U.S. influence in Asia has increased over the past ten years.
• On a 0 to 10 scale of economic influence, the United States ties with Japan in first place among Indonesians (7.9) and Vietnamese (8.0)
• Seventy-six percent of Indonesians say that American ideas about the benefits of free markets and open competition have been “somewhat’ or “very important” in the development of their economy
• Indonesians also have a high regard for American human capital – they give the United States an average score of 7.8 on a 0-10 scale of the level of education of its population
• While Indonesians do not rank the United States highest on all questions pertaining to its soft power in the region, according to the overall soft power index, the U.S. comes out on top along with Japan

However, not all indicators of American soft power in Indonesia are positive:

• Indonesians believe China and Japan use diplomacy more effectively to resolve key problems in Asia and have a greater respect for sovereignty than the United States.
• American soft power derived from its culture fares worse among Indonesians. According to Indonesians, the U.S. ranks behind China and Japan and on par with South Korea. Indonesians find American culture appealing in general and think that it has a great deal of influence in Asia, yet nearly all Indonesians feel that the spread of U.S. culture is a “bad thing” and has a negative influence on Indonesia.
• Majorities of Indonesians (83%) are at least somewhat worried about the United States posing a future military threat to their country. This view likely reflects concern over U.S. military involvement in the Middle East in recent years. At the same time, 57 percent believe it is at least somewhat likely that if the United States removed its armed forces from the region, it would spark a competitive military buildup between China and Japan

Conclusions are based on a Chicago Council and EAI public opinion survey conducted in early 2008. For more information and to download the full reports, please visit thechicagocouncil.org/softpowerindex.

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, founded in 1922, is a prominent, independent and nonpartisan organization committed to influencing the discourse on global issues through contributions to opinion and policy formation, leadership dialogue, and public learning.  The Chicago Council has been conducting nationwide public opinion surveys on American views on foreign policy since 1972.  These surveys provide insights into the current and long-term foreign policy attitudes of the American public on a wide range of global topics.