Rising tensions over trade have dimmed Americans’ opinions of China.
A new Pew Research Center poll finds that 60% say they have an unfavorable view of China — up from 47% last year to the highest proportion since Pew started asking the question 14 years ago.
The survey results being released Tuesday found that 24% of Americans regard China as America’s top threat for the future, the same percentage that said so of Russia. North Korea (12 was the only other country to draw double-digit concern.
The Trump administration and Beijing have been clashing for more than a year over allegations that China steals trade secrets, pressures foreign companies to hand over technology and unfairly subsidizes the country’s own companies.
President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods and has said that on Sept. 1, he will tax the $300 billion in Chinese imports that he has so far spared. In retaliation, China has imposed tariffs on $110 billion in U.S. products.
The United States Trade Representative announced Tuesday it is removing some items, and delaying others, from the list that will be hit by the new 10% tariffs in September.
Still, the poll finds that only 41% of Americans believe that China’s growing economy is a bad thing for the United States, compared with 50% who called it a good thing. Respondents were far more worried about China’s rising military power: 81% said it was bad, 11% good.
Half said they had no confidence in President Xi Jinping, the same as last year. In addition to being locked in a trade war with Trump, Xi has overseen a crackdown on dissent in China and a more combative foreign policy in East Asia.
Americans 50 and older were most likely to hold negative views of China (67%, compared with 58% of those ages 30-49 and 49% of those 18-29).
Likewise, 69% of Americans with a four-year college degree expressed disapproval of China, versus 57% of those who didn’t have a degree.
Pew surveyed 1,503 adults from May 13 to June 18.
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