--- title: "6 facts about how Americans and Chinese see each other" description: "Chinese President Xi Jinping’s tour of the United States comes at a time of many tensions between the two nations. Our surveys capture American public opinion toward China, and Chinese public opinion toward the U.S. " date: "2016-03-30" authors: - name: "Richard Wike" job_title: "Director, Global Attitudes Research" link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/richard-wike/" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2016/03/30/6-facts-about-how-americans-and-chinese-see-each-other/" categories: - "China Global Image" - "Cyberattacks" - "International Affairs" - "Online Privacy & Security" - "Technology Policy Issues" - "U.S. Global Image" --- # 6 facts about how Americans and Chinese see each other [![Disapproval of adultery particularly high in U.S., less so in France](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2016/04/FT_16.04.19_AmericaEurope_adultery.png?w=245)](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2016/04/FT_16.04.19_AmericaEurope_adultery.png) [![Barack Obama and Xi Jinping](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2015/09/FT_15.09.22_chinaUS.jpg)](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2015/09/22/6-facts-about-how-americans-and-chinese-see-each-other/ft_15-09-22_chinaus/) *U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a press conference on Nov. 12, 2014, in Beijing. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)* Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Washington this week to participate in a major global [summit on nuclear issues](http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/order-from-chaos/posts/2016/03/24-nuclear-security-summit-benchorin-pifer). Xi will also meet on Thursday afternoon with President Obama. The meeting comes at a time of ongoing tensions between the two countries. The U.S. and its Asian allies continue to express concerns about Beijing’s aggressive posture in the [South China Sea](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/30/world/asia/obama-xi-jinping-meeting-washington.html?action=click&contentCollection=Asia%20Pacific&module=RelatedCoverage®ion=EndOfArticle&pgtype=article). Washington would like to see Beijing put more pressure on North Korea to halt the development of its nuclear program. Xi’s crackdown on domestic dissent is drawing increasingly harsh [criticism](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/chinas-resistance-toward-mr-xis-slide-into-maoism/2016/03/28/afafa582-f4ec-11e5-8b23-538270a1ca31_story.html) from many in the U.S. And Donald Trump and his competitors have made the economic challenge from China a major issue in the Republican presidential primary contest. As Pew Research Center [surveys](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2015/09/09/americans-concerns-about-china-economics-cyberattacks-human-rights-top-the-list/) have shown, many of these tensions are reflected in American public opinion. Meanwhile, the Chinese [public](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2015/06/23/global-publics-back-u-s-on-fighting-isis-but-are-critical-of-post-911-torture/) has its own complaints about the U.S. – in particular, most believe the U.S. is trying to contain a rising China. Here are six key findings about American public opinion toward China, and Chinese public opinion about the U.S. Overall, **Americans and Chinese do not have especially positive views of each other**. In our 2015 [survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2015/06/23/global-publics-back-u-s-on-fighting-isis-but-are-critical-of-post-911-torture/), just 38% of Americans have a favorable view of China, compared with a global median of 55% across 39 countries. Only a slightly higher share of the Chinese public – 44% – give the U.S. a positive rating, in stark contrast with the global median of 69%. [![Americans View Large Amount of Debt Held by China and Loss of Jobs as Most Serious Concerns](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2015/09/FT_15.09.21.US_.China_.TopConcerns.png)](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2015/09/09/americans-concerns-about-china-economics-cyberattacks-human-rights-top-the-list/) On a list of possible issues with China, **Americans are most concerned about economic issues, cybersecurity and human rights**. Specifically, the amount of U.S. debt held by China and the loss of jobs to China are Americans’ top worries, but cyberattacks and Beijing’s human rights record aren’t far behind. **Republicans are more critical of China compared with Democrats**. From U.S. debt held by China to the loss of U.S. jobs and China’s growing military power, Republicans are far more concerned about these issues as a very serious problem than are Democrats. The exception is China’s impact on the environment, which worries Democrats more. [![](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/09/Problems-Battery-by-U.S.-Party.png)](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2015/09/09/americans-concerns-about-china-economics-cyberattacks-human-rights-top-the-list/#republicans-more-likely-to-see-threats-from-china) **Many Americans think China will ultimately become the world’s top superpower, and most Chinese agree**. Americans are closely divided on this question: 46% say China either already has or will someday replace the U.S. as the top global power, while 48% say this will never happen. However, 67% of Chinese think their country has supplanted the U.S. or will in the future; only 16% say it won’t happen. **Most** **Chinese think the U.S. is trying to hold their nation back**. More than half (54%) of Chinese say the U.S. is trying to prevent China from becoming as powerful as the U.S. Only 28% say the U.S. accepts that China will become as powerful. [![Younger Generation in China and U.S. Holds More Positive View of the Other Country](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2015/09/FT_15.09.21.US_.China_.YoungerGen.png)](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2015/09/22/6-facts-about-how-americans-and-chinese-see-each-other/ft_15-09-21-us-china-youngergen/) **Young people in both countries express more favorable attitudes of the other nation**. Americans ages 18-29 are more than twice as likely as those ages 50 or older to have a favorable opinion of China (55% vs. 27%). Similarly, 59% of Chinese adults under 30 give the U.S. a positive rating, compared with 29% of those 50 and older. And younger Chinese also find U.S. soft power more appealing – for example, 59% said they like American ideas about democracy in our 2012 [poll](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2012/10/16/chapter-2-china-and-the-world/), compared with 40% of the 50 and older group. *Note: This post was originally published on Sept. 22, 2015, and has been updated. *