{"id":164577,"date":"2024-05-01T11:55:11","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T15:55:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?p=164577"},"modified":"2025-07-20T23:27:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T03:27:24","slug":"chinas-relationship-with-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/global\/2024\/05\/01\/chinas-relationship-with-the-u-s\/","title":{"rendered":"2. China\u2019s relationship with the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When asked about the state of U.S.-China relations, Americans offer mostly negative assessments: A substantial share consider China an enemy of the U.S., and most think limiting China\u2019s power and influence should be a top foreign policy priority for the U.S. About two-thirds of Americans think China is having a great deal or fair amount of negative influence on the U.S. economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Americans increasingly see China as an enemy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Around four-in-ten Americans (42%) say China is an enemy of the U.S. This is fewer than the 50% who describe China as a competitor but a slight increase from the 38% of Americans who described China as an enemy last year. It is also the largest share who have described China as an enemy since we began asking the question.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Older Americans are more likely than younger ones to describe China as an enemy. A majority of those ages 50 and older (55%) describe China as an enemy, including 61% of those ages 65 and older. Among adults under 50, three-in-ten say the same \u2013 including around a quarter (27%) of adults under 30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Party and ideology<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Bar<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As has been the case in recent years, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are significantly more likely than Democrats and Democratic leaners to describe China as an enemy (59% vs. 28%). Among Republicans, this share has increased 6 percentage points since 2023<\/strong>, from 53%. Among Democrats, views did not change significantly over the past year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conservative Republicans (69%) are particularly likely to describe China as an enemy, relative to moderate and liberal Republicans (38%), conservative and moderate Democrats (30%), and liberal Democrats (25%). Aside from conservative Republicans, roughly half or more in each group describe China as a competitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Economic attitudes<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Assessments of whether China is an enemy, competitor or partner of the U.S. are related to views about the U.S. economy. For example, Americans who think the U.S. economy is currently in poor shape are significantly more likely than those who think it is in good shape to call China an enemy (48% vs. 29%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, people who think China has a great deal or a fair amount of influence on economic conditions in the U.S. are much more likely than those who think it has less influence to call China an enemy (45% vs. 25%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Limiting China\u2019s power and influence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When asked to prioritize 22 possible long-term foreign policy goals<\/a>, limiting the power and influence of China is given top priority by 49% of Americans. Another 42% say this should be given some priority, and 8% say limiting China\u2019s power should not be a priority at all in U.S. foreign policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with the sense that China\u2019s influence has recently grown stronger, the desire to limit China is more prominent among older Americans and Republicans<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n