Beijing’s reserved posture in conflict mediation has long stirred global curiosity and critique. With its economic reach expanding and diplomatic heft growing, China is frequently named as a potential peacemaker in conflicts ranging from Ukraine to Palestine. Yet its response remains careful, calibrated, and often deliberately ambiguous. While much of the world scrutinizes China’s foreign policy from the top-down, the quieter factor at play may lie in bottom-up sentiment: how ordinary Chinese citizens weigh in on the nation’s emerging role in international affairs.

New data from the Chinese Citizens’ Global Perception Survey (CCGPS), conducted annually since 2023, reveals an underappreciated layer of geopolitical calculus: the Chinese public’s appetite, or lack thereof, for foreign involvement. The survey, a nationally representative gauge of attitudes across demographics, offers not just snapshots of opinion, but a portrait of underlying values that shape Chinese foreign policy endurance. By examining public views on China’s role in the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine conflicts, as well as assessments of national interest and Russia’s resilience, we begin to see how domestic expectations guide the tempo and texture of China’s global diplomacy.

The findings, consistent across years, suggest a population that embraces relevance without overreach.