---
title: "Scared of China? In U.S., fear runs along age, partisan lines"
description: "Over the past quarter century, more than one U.S. president has pledged to get \"tough on China.\""
date: "2017-01-30"
authors:
  - name: "Bruce Stokes"
    job_title: "Former Director, Global Economic Attitudes"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/bruce-stokes/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2017/01/30/scared-of-china-in-u-s-fear-runs-along-age-partisan-lines/"
---

# Scared of China? In U.S., fear runs along age, partisan lines

*Special to [Nikkei](http://asia.nikkei.com/Viewpoints/Bruce-Stokes/Scared-of-China-In-US-fear-runs-along-age-partisan-lines)*

Over the past quarter century, more than one U.S. president has pledged to get "tough on China." In 1992, in the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacre, Bill Clinton [promised](http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Bill_Clinton_Foreign_Policy.htm) not to coddle Beijing. George W. Bush [vowed](http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/George_W__Bush_China.htm) to change the U.S.-China relationship from one of "partnership" to one of "competition." Most recently, Donald Trump has criticized the trade relationship between the U.S. and China, saying he would impose [a 45% tariff](https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/07/donald-trump-says-he-favors-big-tariffs-on-chinese-exports/) on imports from China.

Among his supporters, Trump can count on ample backing for taking a tough line with China. And among the general U.S. public, too, there is considerable skepticism of China. Today, a majority (55%) of Americans hold an unfavorable view of the country, a trend that has held relatively constant since 2013.

*Read more at [Nikkei](http://asia.nikkei.com/Viewpoints/Bruce-Stokes/Scared-of-China-In-US-fear-runs-along-age-partisan-lines)*