Ray's source is the first I have seen in regard to the Pacific. I had just been noticing in recent months a variety of sources in regard to the recent rise of how residents of the Middle East perceived France as compared to other Western powers.

Here is one source, a youth survey in the Middle East in 2012
http://www.arabyouthsurvey.com/engli...12_English.pdf


"ARAB YOUTH SEE FRANCE
MOST FAVOURABLY
AMONG ALL FOREIGN
COUNTRIES; VIEWS OF
CHINA AND INDIA ARE
ALSO INCREASINGLY
POSITIVE
One year after the start of the
Arab Spring, young people in the
Middle East have changed some
of their views of major foreign
powers, and now look more
favourably upon France, China
and India"