A large majority of people in the US (83%) continue to have negative views of China, and the share who have very unfavorable views (44%) increased by 4 percentage points since last year, according to PEW Research Centre.
PARTNERSHIP
In its latest analysis, the Pew Centre said that around four-in-ten Americanssee China as an enemy of the United States, rather than as a competitor or a partner. It said that 62% of Americans see China-Russia partnership as a very serious problem for the US, up five points since October and back to the original high levels seen in the immediate aftermath of the Ukraine invasion in 2022.
CHINA – TAIWAN
The analysis finds that 47% people surveyed viewed the relation between China and Taiwan as a very serious problem – a 19-point increase from the share who said the same two years ago. China’s policies on human rights are also a very serious concern for around half of Americans.
TECHNOLOGICAL POWER
The American are less concerned about China’s growing technological power.Only four-in-ten see it as a very serious problem. Yet, around two-thirds of Americans are aware that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is located in China, and by a more than two-to-one margin, more Americans support than oppose the U.S. government banning TikTok (28% are not sure). This is particularly the case among those who are aware the app is Chinese-owned or among those who have an unfavorable view of China.
INTERNATIONAL
The Pew Centre survey also finds that around three-quarters or more Americans as saying China does not take the interests of other countries like the US.
COOPERATION
Americans are somewhat skeptical about the possibility of cooperation with China. On issues like resolving international conflicts, climate change policy and combating the spread of infectious disease, Americans are more likely to say the U.S. cannot cooperate with China than say it can. However, there are two areas where Americans are more open to the possibility of collaboration with Beijing: student exchanges and trade and economic policy.
TRADE RELATION
Americans see China getting more out of the current bilateral economic relationship than the U.S. Around half of Americans (47%) say China benefits more from the U.S.-China trade relationship than America. However, 23% think they benefit equally and 7% think the U.S. benefits more.
Few Americans have confidence in Xi to do the right thing in world affairs – including nearly half who say they have no confidence at all in him.About half of Americans see China’s military as above average relative to other wealthy countries. But when it comes to its “soft power” image, around two-thirds of Americans see China’s technological achievements as above average, but fewer say the same of its universities (29%) or pop culture (14%). And 45% see China’s standard of living as below average.
