New Delhi: While a majority of Americans still hold negative views of China, a recent study by the Pew Research Center suggests a slight upward trend. About 27 per cent of Americans today view China positively—an increase of six percentage points compared to last year, and almost double the share from 2023.
The study, published on 14 April and authored by Laura Silver and Laura Clancy, finds that the trend leaning toward China is mostly among Democrats and Democratic-leaning Americans, with the share increasing by 8 points from last year. In contrast, Republicans’ perceptions have remained largely unchanged.
“Confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping to do the right thing regarding world affairs has gone up 4 points since last year and roughly doubled since 2023,” said the study. “When asked whether China is a partner, enemy or competitor of the United States, fewer Americans call China an enemy now than in 2025. But most Americans still see it as a competitor.”
The study, which uses data from two surveys of 3,507 and 8,512 American adults separately, suggests that 28 per cent now call China an enemy of the US, compared to 33 per cent in 2025. And 60 per cent of citizens consider China a competitor, compared to 56 per cent last year.
“In both years, about one-in-ten have said China is a partner of the US. (At least) 14 per cent of Democrats say China is an enemy, down from 22 per cent in 2025 and 28 per cent in 2024. A large majority of Democrats (72 per cent) still view China as a competitor,” the study read.
The age effect
Age emerges as a key factor in shaping perceptions toward China. Younger Americans have more positive views than older adults, with 34 per cent of adults under 50 having a favourable opinion of China, compared to just 19 per cent of those aged 50 and older.
Only 20 per cent of Americans under 50 consider China an enemy of the US, compared to 38 per cent of those aged 50 and above.
Beyond general views of China, the study also points out how Americans see the leaders dealing with the Washington-Beijing relationship. It finds that opinions are divided, with clear differences across political groups and age. As the two countries continue to engage, public confidence in their leaders remains mixed.
“As US President Donald Trump prepares to meet with Xi Jinping at a May summit, Americans’ confidence in Trump to make good policy decisions toward China is slipping. About four-in-ten (39 per cent) express confidence today, down from 45 per cent last August,” said the study.
There are stark party-wise differences when it comes to this question.
“71 per cent of Republicans, but only 11 per cent of Democrats, think Trump can make good decisions about China. Confidence has fallen by 7 points among Republicans, while Democrats’ views are largely unchanged,” read the report.
Younger Americans are less confident in Trump than older ones. This gap is especially clear among Republicans, where 64 per cent of those under 50 express confidence in him, compared to 78 per cent of those aged 50 and above.
“Americans evaluate Trump’s ability to make good decisions about policy toward China similarly to his ability to make policy toward other countries, including North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela,” the study added.
Americans broadly lack confidence in Xi to do the right thing regarding world affairs. “As is the case with overall views of China, Democrats and younger adults continue to have more confidence in Xi than their counterparts do,” said the report.
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Xi-Trump meet
Trump is scheduled to meet Xi in China on 14 and 15 May. The meeting has been postponed from March due to the Iran War. The summit is expected to focus on trade, the West Asia conflict, and potential sanctions, with a follow-up visit by Xi to Washington planned later in 2026.
With the rising conflict in West Asia and the subsequent disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, the meeting between the top leadership of both countries comes at a sensitive moment in global geopolitics.
The situation in Hormuz points to a larger shift, with experts warning that crises like this are not just temporary shocks but are pushing countries to rethink global trade routes and systems.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)