Data Measuring Africans (Ghanaians) Perception of China amid COVID-19 Pandemic

This data was collected for a studies that examined African (Ghanaian) perception of China amid COVID-19 pandemic. Ghanaian public were asked questions regarding Chinese manufactured products and responses were used to measure their attitude and image towards China. A paper titled "The Rationality of Soft Power Resource: Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on China’s influence in Africa" was produced. The hypotheses of this research were that since some Africans were allegedly abuse in China over COVID-19 fears: 1. The presentation of China in the COVID-19 narrative and the later alleged abuse of Africans in China is likely to shape a negative Ghanaian public perception of China and its soft power resource (manufactured products). 2. Ghanaian public are rational actors who seek to maximise utility (satisfaction) they get from a resource. Thus, their perception and attitude towards China regarding COVID-19 narrative is likely to depend on the relationship between the utility of China’s soft power resource (manufactured products) and the narration. The data was collected through online with an online survey instrument called Survey Heart. A total sample size of 1020 were collected between August 1 and November 30, 2020. The data revealed that Ghanaian public generally have positive image of China as a result of the benefits Chinese manufactured products offer, and that, narration of China in COVID-19 and the fact that Africans were allegedly abuse in China played no role in shaping Ghanaian perception of China. The data revealed that, Ghanaian public perception and response to China’s representation in COVID-19 is a function of their interest and benefits they derive from Chinese products, a situation that helps to shape a positive image towards China without been influenced by China’s COVID-19 narrative. Employing the rational choice theory, the paper argues that, the assumption of a self-interested, maximising individual that calculates her perceived gains of actions as empirically established characteristics of human nature, solidifies China’s positive image and influence through its manufactured products as a soft power resource despite its negative representation in COVID-19 narrative