Bilateral Relations

As the U.S. and Germany prepare to gain new leadership, their relationship remains unbalanced in the minds of their citizenries. Americans see Germany as a partner on many foreign policy issues, but Germans mostly do not.

Across 14 advanced nations, a median of 61% say China has done a bad job in handling the coronavirus outbreak. And at least seven-in-ten in each of these countries have little or no confidence in President Xi Jinping.

Focus groups held across the two nations reveal the degree to which Americans and Britons see common challenges to local and national identity.

The United Nations is broadly credited with promoting peace and human rights as younger adults are more supportive of cooperation with other countries.

The pandemic has had a divisive effect on a sense of national unity in many of the countries surveyed: A median of 46% feel more national unity now than before the coronavirus outbreak, while 48% think divisions have grown.

Republicans have long held more unfavorable views of China than Democrats, but such views have climbed among both parties over the past year.

Unfavorable views of China reach new historic high, and a majority supports taking a tougher stand on human rights.

Germans are increasingly negative about their relationship with the U.S. Also, Germans are more comfortable than Americans with globalization.

There is widespread support in Taiwan for increased economic and political ties with the U.S. While many are wary of stronger political ties with mainland China, about half would favor stronger economic relations.

Republicans are more negative than Democrats toward China, though unfavorable ratings have climbed among both parties.