Americans are more likely to have negative views of China the older and more conservative they are, the survey results showed.
Older Americans are much more likely than younger adults to call China an enemy, with 47% of those aged 65 and older and 40% of those aged 50 to 64 holding this view, compared with 19% of those in the 18-29 age group.
In comparison, younger Americans are most likely to see China as a competitor, with 61% of adults under 30 saying this.
Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, attitudes toward China are softening even as they remained more critical of the country than Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents, the survey found.
The percentage of Republicans who have an “unfavorable opinion” of China fell 8 percentage points, to 82%, with a 16-percentage-point decline to 43% in those who have a “very unfavorable” view.
By comparison, 72% of Democrats have an unfavorable view, including 24% who hold a “very unfavorable” opinion, down from 30% in 2024.
