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Poll: Asia unworried by Japan
 Japan is playing a more assertive foreign policy role. ON CNNI TVRemembering Hiroshima: 2300 GMT Friday 0800 Saturday, Tokyo RELATEDYOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(CNN) -- Asians are generally supportive of their neighbors' economic and political advancement, although the support is not unanimous, according to the latest findings of a CNN/Time poll. In a CNN/Time poll, approximately 53 percent of Asians surveyed said Japan's exercising of a more assertive foreign policy to increase their influence in regional and global issues did not worry them. Another 35 percent said it did concern them, while 12 percent were undecided. But in Hong Kong and in South Korea -- places that remember Japan's occupation during World War II -- the majority polled were worried by such a move from Tokyo. Asians also were less than enthusiastic about Japan's ambition to become a permanent member of the Security Council; only 49 percent thought Japan deserved a coveted seat. The survey's findings have been released this month in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, when atom bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to Japan's surrender in history's bloodiest conflict. Since the end of World War II, Japan has focused on peaceful economic development. But recent debate over Japan's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, as well as possible reforms to its pacifist constitution has made some Asian nations nervous. The poll was conducted July 5-28 by market research firm TNS across 12 Asian nations. The poll surveyed 7,200 people and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Among other findings in the poll: Approximately 50 percent of those surveyed said China becoming the dominant economic power in Asia would benefit their country, a possible reflection of the belief that China's global and regional trading prowess will be good for the region as a whole. Another 36 percent, however, said Chinese economic dominance regionally would be a bad thing, while 13 percent were undecided. Belief in the benefit of China's economic supremacy is higher than average in the Chinese city of Hong Kong (84 percent), and in the nations of Singapore (64 percent), Malaysia (61 percent), Thailand (59 percent) and Vietnam (56 percent). People surveyed in Japan and South Korea (55 percent each) registered the strongest belief that China's economic development will be a bad for their countries. Approximately 49 percent of those polled said Japan deserves a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. Another 34 percent surveyed said Japan did not deserve a permanent seat. Support was strongest in Vietnam, India and Australia. Opposition was strongest in South Korea and Hong Kong. Nearly two-thirds of the poll said the United States' role as a regional peacekeeper remained important. The survey findings showed that most surveyed believed the United States' role as security guarantor in Asia was either increasing (30 percent) or staying the same (34 percent). Another 19 percent polled said the role of the U.S. in security was decreasing, while another 17 percent were undecided. 
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