SHANGHAI, July 10 -- MOST Chinese people are reluctant to strike up a conversation with strangers and get to know them, according to a survey by the Horizon Group, a nongovernment consultancy in Beijing.

The survey is based on 3,780 samples collected over the last two months of 2006, covering 15 urban and rural areas.

According to the survey, although Chinese people increased their "socializing index" by three points to 69.32, their social skills are still inadequate.

Although more than 70 percent of interviewees have a strong desire to meet new people, fewer than 40 percent are confident about their skills in breaking the ice and socializing with strangers.

The survey indicates that family and relatives are still the major social resource for Chinese people.

Valuable social resources outside the family sphere - alumni, colleagues and other social circles - are often ignored and wasted. The Horizon Group cited the result of an earlier survey by Stanford University which claimed that nearly 90 percent of the money one makes in one's lifetime comes from one's social network.

"(Chinese people) need to break out from the confines of their family circle and explore larger circles of society," the Horizon Group says.

The survey also made it clear that most Chinese people only choose to initiate social interactions when they enter a stable social environment, such as a new school or a new job, in which people can get to know others gradually over time.

However, under circumstances that require instant bonding with strangers, such as at a wedding or on a short plane journey, people tend to be passive and would rather choose not to talk to strangers.

The survey highlighted the increasing role of the Internet in Chinese people's social lives.