In a public survey conducted by the Global Times in China from November 26 to 28, 2010, almost 60% of survey respondents saw the U.S. as the main cause of the crises in the Korean Peninsula and 60% believed that China should maintain its special relationship with North Korea.
The survey was conducted in seven large cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. When asked, “What does North Korea represent to China,” 44.7% chose “a strategic defense line for China” and another 43.2% checked “China’s ally." Regarding North Korea’s bombing of South Korea, 56.7% chose “(the issue is) too complex to comment on," while 22.4% checked “North Korea was forced to do so." When asked, “Which country is the cause of the continued crises in the Korean Peninsula," 55.6% said the U.S. and 10% chose South Korea, while only 9% checked North Korea.
Source: Global Times, November 29, 2010
http://mil.huanqiu.com/china/2010-11/1299649.html