Trump will head to Beijing amid warming trend in sentiment about China at home

While a significant majority of Americans still regard China as a competitor to the US rather than a partner, fewer call the world’s second largest economy an adversary than in 2025, according to the survey, which was conducted in March and released on Tuesday.

“Today, 27 per cent of Americans have a positive opinion of China. That has risen 6 percentage points since last year and nearly doubled since 2023,” Pew reported.

Despite the warming trend, most Americans still view China unfavourably, a sentiment that has held for the better part of a decade.

Pew’s analysis used data from two 2026 surveys, conducted in January and March, of 12,000 adults representing a broad cross-section of the US population.

US says Trump’s China visit delayed until May because of Iran conflict

US says Trump’s China visit delayed until May because of Iran conflict