A recent survey by the Pew Research Center reveals a significant warming trend in American views of China, with approximately one in five U.S. adults now holding a positive opinion of the country. This marks an increase from 11% in 2021 to 19% currently.
Concurrently, the percentage of Americans expressing a negative view of China has decreased, falling from 68% in 2021 to 54%. The survey data also indicates a notable partisan difference in these perceptions. About 26% of Democrats, compared to 10% of Republicans, currently hold a warm view of China. This represents an 11% increase among Democrats since 2021, while Republicans have also shown a slight thaw, with positive views rising from 5% in 2021.
These findings emerge as President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state visit in Washington. The visit included a state dinner at the White House, where President Trump presented Xi with a bald eagle sculpture and provided a tour of the White House's under-construction ballroom. The state dinner was attended by prominent tech billionaires, including Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, Sundar Pichai, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, Michael Dell, and Tim Cook, with discussions reportedly focusing on the global AI race.
The survey also highlighted demographic variations, with younger Americans expressing warmer views of China than older adults. Those under 50 rated China on average at 42 on the survey's "thermometer" scale, while individuals aged 50 and older gave an average rating of 31. The "thermometer" scale uses a range from 0 (as negative as possible) to 100 (as positive as possible), with 50 indicating neutral feelings. Ratings between 51 and 100 signify a warm view, while 0 to 49 indicate a cold view.