More Americans see China’s rising economic power as ‘critical threat’ to US as trade war rumbles on
- Gallup world affairs survey highlights increasingly negative sentiments among US public in wake of trade war
- Number with favourable view of China drops 12 points in the space of a year to 41 per cent
Almost half of the Americans surveyed in a new opinion poll said they considered China’s growing economic power as a “critical threat” to the US.
It also found that only 41 per cent of Americans held a “favourable view” of China – a 12-point drop compared with the previous year and the lowest level recorded since Gallup’s annual world affairs survey began seven years ago.
Gallup noted that the sharp decline followed “a year of escalating trade disagreements between the two nations”, adding that US President Donald Trump “has long criticised China’s trade policies, accusing the country of manipulating its currency and taking advantage of the US”.
Last year these tensions spilled over into an outright trade war and the two sides are still trying to negotiate a deal to bring it to an end and address US accusations that China is engaging in a range of unfair trade practices such as forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft.
In the survey conducted early last month, Gallup asked people to state whether they viewed China’s economic power as a critical threat, an important but not critical threat, or not important at all.
