Americans See China in an Increasingly Negative Light
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Data by Gallup shows that Americans' views of China have continued to worsen after 2018. The deterioration started with the U.S.-China trade war under President Donald Trump, continued during the coronavirus pandemic that originated in China and has recently taken on yet another dimension among concerns about widespread Chinese tech and industrial espionage and subversion as well as continued human rights abuses and tension surrounding Taiwan. Among American adults in 2024, unfavorable views of China were voiced by 77 percent of respondents after having reached a high of 84 percent in early 2023. In 2005, that figure had stood at just 47 percent.
In 2023, 77 percent of Americans said the viewed Taiwan very or mostly favorable. At the same time, 66 percent saw the military power of China as a critical threat, up from 41 percent in 2016. 64 percent said the same about the economic power of China.
Republicans voters saw China more critical with just 6 percent who had a favorable view in 2023, compared to 18 percent of Democrats and 17 percent of Independents. That year, favorable views of China in the U.S. reached an all-time low of just 15 percent overall. Again, Republicans were more critical of China's military and economic prowess, with 80-81 percent seeing it as a major threat.
Dataset
Very favorable | Mostly favorable | Mostly unfavorable | Very unfavorable | No opinion | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 Feb 1-20 | 4 | 16 | 37 | 40 | 2 |
2023 Feb 1-23 | 4 | 11 | 39 | 45 | 1 |
2022 Feb 1-17 | 4 | 16 | 38 | 41 | 1 |
2021 Feb 3-18 | 6 | 14 | 38 | 41 | 1 |
2020 Feb 3-16 | 5 | 28 | 43 | 24 | * |
2019 Feb 1-10 | 8 | 33 | 39 | 18 | 2 |
2018 Feb 1-10 | 7 | 46 | 32 | 13 | 2 |
2017 Feb 1-5 | 10 | 40 | 35 | 13 | 2 |
2016 Feb 3-7 | 8 | 36 | 34 | 18 | 4 |
2015 Feb 8-11 | 8 | 36 | 34 | 16 | 5 |
2014 Feb 6-9 | 9 | 34 | 35 | 18 | 5 |
2013 Feb 7-10 | 8 | 35 | 35 | 17 | 5 |
2012 Feb 2-5 | 6 | 35 | 36 | 20 | 2 |
2011 Feb 2-5 | 6 | 41 | 37 | 13 | 3 |
2010 Feb 1-3 | 5 | 37 | 36 | 17 | 5 |
2009 Feb 9-12 | 5 | 36 | 34 | 17 | 7 |
2008 Feb 11-14 | 6 | 36 | 38 | 17 | 3 |
2007 Feb 1-4 | 7 | 41 | 32 | 15 | 6 |
2006 Feb 6-9 | 4 | 40 | 35 | 14 | 6 |
2005 Feb 7-10 | 5 | 42 | 35 | 12 | 6 |
2004 Feb 9-12 | 6 | 35 | 38 | 16 | 5 |
2003 Feb 3-6 | 6 | 39 | 34 | 12 | 9 |
2002 Feb 4-6 | 6 | 38 | 37 | 12 | 7 |
2001 Feb 1-4 ^ | 5 | 40 | 31 | 17 | 7 |
2000 Nov 13-15 | 5 | 31 | 39 | 18 | 7 |
2000 Mar 17-19 | 6 | 29 | 40 | 16 | 9 |
2000 Jan 25-26 | 4 | 29 | 33 | 18 | 16 |
1999 May 7-9 | 5 | 33 | 38 | 18 | 6 |
1999 Mar 12-14 ^ | 2 | 32 | 39 | 20 | 7 |
1999 Feb 8-9 | 8 | 31 | 34 | 16 | 11 |
1998 Jul 7-8 | 6 | 38 | 36 | 11 | 9 |
1998 Jun 22-23 | 5 | 34 | 42 | 9 | 10 |
1997 Jun 26-29 | 5 | 28 | 36 | 14 | 17 |
1996 Mar 8-10 | 6 | 33 | 35 | 16 | 10 |
1994 Feb 26-28 | 4 | 36 | 38 | 15 | 7 |
1991 Mar 14-17 | 5 | 30 | 35 | 18 | 12 |
1989 Aug 10-13 | 5 | 29 | 32 | 22 | 12 |
1989 Feb 28-Mar 2 | 12 | 60 | 10 | 3 | 15 |
1985 Feb 22-Mar 3 | 5 | 33 | 35 | 16 | 11 |
1979 Sep | 18 | 46 | 18 | 7 | 10 |
Data sources
1,000+ U.S. respondents (18+ y/o) surveyed per year