A survey on how people around the world perceive a range of issues relating to war indicates overwhelming agreement that wars should have limits.

Over 17,000 people from 16 countries, including China, took part in survey, which was conducted between June and September by the International Committee of the Red Cross. The survey is the largest of its kind ever carried out by the ICRC, and it reveals deep concerns about torture and civilian casualties during conflicts.

Eight in 10 responders think combatants should avoid civilians as much as possible when attacking the enemy. The same number thinks attacking hospitals, ambulances and healthcare workers, to weaken an enemy, is wrong.

Ten of the surveyed countries, such as Iraq, Afghanistan and South Sudan, were experiencing armed conflict at the time. The permanent member countries of the UN Security Council were also part of the survey.

In China, the survey was carried out in 10 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and mostly online.

"In such troubled times, it's heartening to see that the vast majority of people believe that the laws of war matter. This recognition of basic human values flies in the face of the appalling violations we see on a daily basis in our work," says Peter Maurer, president of the ICRC.

However, 36 percent of respondents believe that captured enemy combatants can be tortured to obtain important military information. Only slightly less than half of the people asked this year believe this behavior is wrong, compared to 66 percent in a similar 1999 survey done by ICRC.

Maurer suggested that the results also show that a line should be redrawn in the sand to emphasize "torture in any form is forbidden".

The survey indicates that people live in or near a conflict-affected country are more likely to respond humanely to questions on the laws of war.