Survey finds US public opinion shifting in favour of engagement with China
On the eve of this week’s summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Americans feel better about China, according to a poll released on Monday. They see Beijing as less of a threat, are less supportive of Taiwan and are more likely to favour engagement over containment than last year or in 2024, when views hit an all-time low. As with almost everything in the US…
A recent poll reveals a shift in American public opinion towards China, with more people favoring engagement rather than containment. The Chicago Council on Global Affairs conducted the survey, which found that 57% of Americans support engagement with China, up from the 40% seen in recent years and an all-time low of 39% in 2024.
Despite this positive trend, 40% still support limiting China's power, and the majority of Republicans who support the Make America Great Again (Maga) movement still favor limiting China's expansion.
The survey indicates that this shift in opinion coincides with the recent Trump-Xi summit, where agreements were made to stabilize the relationship between the two nations. However, the partisan divide remains evident, with Democrats more supportive of engaging with China (72% of liberal Democrats and 64% of moderate-conservative Democrats) compared to Republicans (57% of Maga Republicans).
Public opinion of China has improved, with 33% of Americans believing the country is more respected than a decade ago, and 62% feeling the US is losing global respect compared to 10 years ago. However, it remains unclear whether this shift in public opinion is due to China's actions or the perception of US policies under President Trump.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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