By — Paul Wiseman, Associated Press Paul Wiseman, Associated Press Leave a comment 0comments Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/survey-trade-war-dims-americans-view-of-china Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Survey: Trade war dims Americans’ view of China World Aug 13, 2019 10:27 AM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — 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 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. 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. By — Paul Wiseman, Associated Press Paul Wiseman, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — 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 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. 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.