In a new Pew Research Center survey, 47% of Americans say that China is now the world’s leading economic power; only 31% say that the United States is. As recently as 2008, the balance of opinion was reversed: 41% named the U.S., while 30% named China. A large majority correctly identifies China as the country that holds the most U.S. debt, and Americans now view Asia as more important than Europe to U.S. interests by a 47%-to-37% margin. Yet while Americans may see China as a problem, relatively few describe it as an adversary, and a 58%-majority say it is very important to build a stronger relationship between the U.S. and China. Read More
