Shadow of trade war: Americans fear of China increases sharply – survey

The trade conflict between Washington and Beijing has apparently taken its toll on China’s image among ordinary Americans, as the number of those with a negative attitude jumped by 13 percent in a new poll, compared to last year.

Sixty percent of US citizens hold generally unfavorable view of China, according to the survey published on Tuesday by the Pew Research Center shows. 

The number of those who call China a threat to the United States has doubled over the past decade or so, and now amounts to 24 percent, on par with Russia – a traditional boogeyman for the US establishment and mainstream media.

Even though trade and money matters seem to be at the center of Washington’s dispute with Beijing, half of the respondents think China’s growing economy is a good thing for the US. More than half of the surveyed Americans (53 percent) were apparently dissatisfied with the level of economic ties between the US and China as they called them “poor.”

What bothers Americans the most is China’s growing military power, as 80 percent call it a bad thing for US, echoing the rhetoric coming from Washington.

The poll results came as the US announced its decision that new tariffs on certain products imported from China, including cell phones, laptops and video game consoles, would be delayed until December.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump threatened to hit China with additional 10 percent tariffs on the remaining $300 billion of imports, starting September 1. The new levies would be added on top of the $250 billion in Chinese imports already taxed at 25 percent.

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