Falling Opinion of China in the U.S.

A new Gallup poll shows only 33 percent of Americans view the country of China favorably in 2020, the lowest it’s been since 2001.

According to Gallup, 67 percent of Americans hold an unfavorable opinion of China, with a record 24 percent holding a very unfavorable opinion of the Asian country. These numbers are up considerably from a year ago, when 57 percent of Americans said they held an unfavorable opinion of China.

Across party lines, Democrats and Republicans both share similar unfavorable views of China. 39 percent of those who identified as Democrat hold a favorable view of China, while only 23 percent of Republicans look favorably on the country. Both numbers are new lows for each party.

Unfavorable opinions of China in America occur at a time when trust between the two countries is weak. Trade between the U.S. and China is slowly returning to normal after a trade deal was announced in January, however economic tensions between the two countries are high. And the coronavirus has also eroded some trust with Americans on China’s ability to contain and accurately report on an outbreak.