American attitudes toward China are warming for the third consecutive year, with a significant shift away from the adversarial framing that dominated the past decade, according to new Pew Research Center data.
The latest survey, conducted in late March, found 27% of Americans viewing China favorably, nearly double the 14% recorded in 2023. Unfavorable views fell to 71% from 83% during that same period, marking a notable thaw in public sentiment toward the second-largest economy.
Perhaps more striking, the percentage of Americans describing China as an "enemy" plummeted from 42% last year to 28% currently. The shift suggests a softening of the bipartisan anti-China consensus that hardened during the first Trump administration.
The warming is not evenly distributed across party lines. Democrats drove much of the gain, with 34% now holding favorable views of China compared to just 18% of Republicans. The partisan gap widened further when asked about China as an adversary: 14% of Democrats call it an enemy versus 44% of Republicans.
Still, Americans remain more inclined to view China as a competitor than a partner. And while confidence in President Xi Jinping's judgment on global affairs has climbed to 17% from roughly half that two years ago, it remains modest. Public confidence in President Trump's handling of the China relationship sits at 40%, with 60% expressing doubt about his approach.
The timing matters. Trump is scheduled to visit China next month, and his team has signaled interest in warmer ties following a trade truce agreed to last November. That goodwill has faced headwinds from escalating tensions over the war in Iran, however.
The broader geopolitical backdrop involves a two-superpower competition for technological dominance and global influence. How Americans and Chinese citizens perceive each other could shape both nations' willingness to cooperate or confront on everything from trade to strategic technology.
Pew's survey included 3,507 respondents from a nationally representative panel, conducted between March 23 and March 29, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.
Author James Rodriguez: "The numbers tell a real story: hardline China sentiment peaked and is now cracking, at least among Democrats. Whether Trump can build on this shift or torpedo it remains the defining question."
Comments