LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "While the global financial crisis has taken a serious toll in many nations over the last few years, most Chinese report continued economic progress," the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project says.

"Indeed, 70 percent say they are better off financially than they were five years ago."

The study was conducted from interviews with 3,177 Chinese adults, between the dates of March 18 and April 15. The results were released earlier this month.

"Additionally," the survey found, "a remarkable 92 percent of Chinese say their standard of living is better than their parents' at a similar age."

Approximately three-in-four residents of the Communist country agree that most people are better off in a free-market economy. Chinese attitudes towards America along with President Barack Obama may have also changed, with positive views on a whole declining.

"The Chinese public increasingly expresses reservations about relations with the United States," Pew said. "Over the last two years, ratings for the U.S. and President Obama have declined significantly."

The percentage of Chinese who characterize their country's relationship with the U.S. as one of cooperation has been drastically reduced, which have "plummeted" nearly 30 points since 2010, from 68 percent to 39 percent. "Still, many Chinese embrace aspects of America's soft power, including U.S. science and technology and American ideas about democracy," the survey said.

The Chinese people's confidence in Obama has declined 14 points, to 38 percent today. More Chinese adults at 41 percent now have "no confidence" in President Obama, an increase of 11 points in two years.

Twenty-six percent of the Chinese poll respondents now say that the America-China relationship is one of "hostility."

The Pew Global Attitudes Project conducts public opinion surveys around the world on a broad array of subjects ranging from people's assessments of their own lives to their views about the current state of the world.

© 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.