About 46 percent of overseas respondents said China's image is one of "having rapid economic growth with its people enjoying relatively high living standards", while 45 percent believed that China is a country with "a big gap between the rich and the poor".

More than half of the respondents are optimistic about China's future development, with 37 percent saying they believe China's economy will keep growing at a rapid rate, and 20 percent saying they believe China will overtake the US to become a superpower.

The study found that people from emerging economies tend to have a better appreciation of China's development.

"Most people in emerging economies regard China as an important force for maintaining world order and peace, while many from the developed countries still believe in a China military threat," he said.

Dong Guanghua, group account director of Millward Brown, said the going-global strategy of Chinese companies has also helped improve the country's national image.

"About 36 percent of the overseas respondents thought that Chinese enterprises doing business in their countries would bring new capital and technology, and 32 percent thought they would increase employment opportunities," said Dong.

Chinese brand products, with better quality and innovation, are being embraced by more foreign consumers in recent years, and many foreign respondents are familiar with Chinese brands including Lenovo, Huawei, Air China, Haier and Alibaba, he said.

However, Chinese products still need to improve quality and after-sales service, which sometimes hold back foreign consumers from buying Chinese brand products and hamper the national image, he suggested.

According to the study, the young are more familiar with China, with 34 percent of the respondents aged 18 to 35 knowing about China, with the equivalent score being 28 percent for those aged 36 to 50 and 20 percent for those 51 to 65 years old.

Young people, especially those aged 18 to 35, also tend to have a better impression and more positive attitude toward China and are more optimistic about China's future, compared with their senior counterparts, it said.

Yu Yunquan, deputy director of the China International Publishing Group, said that the better view by youth has a lot to do with the channels through which they get to know China, and he believed China's national image will gradually improve.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn