Americans increasingly see China as an enemy
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One in three Americans, and a majority of Republicans, now view China as an enemy of the United States, according to a new survey from Pew Research Center.
By the numbers: Just 9% of Americans consider China a "partner," while 55% see Beijing as a "competitor" and 34% as an "enemy."
- Americans over 65 (49%) are much more likely to view China as an enemy than of 18 to 29-year-olds (20%).
- White respondents (42%) were also much more likely to see China as an enemy than Black (12%) or Hispanic (21%) respondents.
- The biggest gap came between Republicans (53%) and Democrats (20%).
By the numbers: Republicans (72%) are also far more likely than Democrats (37%) to prioritize getting "tougher" with China over strengthening economic relations, according to the survey.
- But Republicans (72%) and Democrats (69%) are aligned in believing the U.S. should promote human rights in China even if it harms economic ties.
- The trend: The percentage of Americans viewing China negatively climbed from 46% in 2018 to 67% in 2021.
Methodology: Data for this American Trends Panel report was drawn from a panel wave conducted from Feb. 1 to Feb. 7, 2021. 2,596 people responded, out of 2,943 who were sampled. The margin of sampling error is +/- 2.7%.
