Americans and Chinese have something in common: they don’t like each other very much.
In advance of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival Thursday in Washington for a lavish White House State Dinner, Pew Research Center has produced a checklist of issues that show a mutual distrust of the other.
First, Pew has found that neither side has a favorable view of the other. “Just 38 percent of Americans have a favorable view of China,” said Pew. “Only a slightly higher share of the Chinese public – 44 percent – give the U.S. a positive rating.”
Second, an overwhelming percentage of Americans — 89 percent — are concerned about the amount of American debt China has and also job losses to the country. Pew found at least eight major international issues that Americans have a concern with China over.
Maybe the most troubling is that Americans are split on whether China is about to surpass the U.S. as the world’s superpower, despite new signs the Chinese economy is struggling. The Chinese have no doubt.
“Americans are closely divided on this question: 46 percent say China either already has or will someday replace the U.S. as the top global power, while 48 percent say this will never happen. However, 67 percent of Chinese think their country has supplanted the U.S. or will in the future,” said Pew
But Pew found that there is hope that younger generations in both countries might get along better since they have the best opinion of the other.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
