Half of Americans Consider China as the Most Prominent Threat to the U.S.

A new survey by the Pew Research Center revealed that 50% of Americans consider China to be the biggest threat to the United States.

The survey asked Americans to name the country they consider the greatest threat to the US, and 50% named China. This is nearly three times more than those who named Russia (17%), according to Pew’s latest survey published on Thursday.

Pew noted that while it’s difficult to compare responses from year to year, Americans have not always seen China as the top threat. In 2019, an equal share of Americans pointed to China and Russia as the greatest threat.

The survey also showed a negative shift in Americans’ views of China over time, especially since 2020. The poll, conducted from March 20 to 26, 2023, covered over 3,500 adults in the US.

“The percentage of Americans with an unfavorable opinion of China has risen from 79% in 2020 to 83% in 2023,” said Laura Clancy, a research analyst at Pew Research Center.

“In that time, we asked Americans about various specific issues, including the partnership between China and Russia, which 62% perceive as a very serious problem for the US,” she told CNBC via email.

US-China relations have recently reached their lowest point in years, partly due to tensions over a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon flying over the United States.

The battle for technological supremacy between the two economic superpowers has also resulted in punitive measures such as trade and investment restrictions in the tech industry.

China’s closer ties with Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine, as well as its continued aggression over the Taiwan Strait, have further strained relations between the two countries.

“Americans can name several problems in the US-China relationship, including China’s policies on human rights and its growing technological power,” said Laura Clancy from Pew Research Center.

“Generally, those who see these problems as very serious are also more likely to have negative views of China.”

The survey also revealed that a large majority of Americans perceive China as both an economic and national security threat, with 78% considering Beijing a threat to the US economy and 73% considering it a threat to security. In comparison, only 36% see Russia as a significant threat to the economy, and 66% see it as a threat to security.

These survey findings come amidst recent diplomatic engagements between the US and China aimed at improving relations.

Last week, veteran US diplomat Henry Kissinger paid a surprise visit to Chinese President Xi Jinping, which was seen as China’s effort to influence Washington through unconventional means.

The Biden administration has also sought to restart high-level contacts with China through visits from Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry.

Blinken recently held a robust yet conciliatory meeting with Xi, which had been delayed due to the alleged Chinese spy balloon incident.

Chinese political analyst Zhou Zhixing suggests that listening to younger generations of US experts and scholars on China could help ease tensions between the two countries. He mentioned that a group of young strategists in the US who truly understand China are emerging.

“It is worth mentioning that these Americans have studied all aspects of Sino-US relations, and they are fluent in Chinese, which is better than their predecessors,” Zhou wrote on Chinese messaging app WeChat.

“Our problem is, first, we don’t really understand these people; second, we don’t have such a corresponding group of young people. This gap is terrible!”