President Trump greets Chinese language President Xi Jinping forward of a bilateral assembly at Gimhae Air Base in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30, 2025. Trump heads to Beijing for one more assembly with Xi on Tuesday.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs
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As President Trump embarks Tuesday on his first journey to Beijing of his second time period to fulfill with Chinese language President Xi Jinping, Individuals largely view China as an financial rival searching for international dominance, in line with an NPR/Chicago Council on World Affairs/Ipsos ballot.
However Individuals additionally need to keep a powerful buying and selling relationship with China and want to see tariffs lowered to maintain prices to U.S. shoppers down.
Individuals consider China desires to be the dominant world chief
Virtually 8 in 10 respondents stated China desires to be the dominant world chief.
However by a 56% to 29% margin, they see the risk as extra financial than army.
Solely 13% consider China represents no risk in any respect to the U.S.
Most see China as one of many United States’ greatest rivals or adversaries
A majority of Individuals sees China as both a rival (37%) or an adversary (21%), although extra see it as a rival.
One other 1 in 5 see it as a vital strategic associate, and solely 2% view it as an ally.
Of the ten international locations requested about, solely Russia was seen extra antagonistically. Two-thirds stated they see Russia as an adversary (43%) or rival (21%).
Australia was the nation most seen as an ally (51%), adopted by Japan, Germany and South Korea. Saudi Arabia and India had been the more than likely to be seen as strategic companions.
(The ballot didn’t embrace international locations long-considered allies, like the UK or France, or ones seen as adversaries, like North Korea.)
Tariffs are overwhelmingly seen as a foul factor — for each international locations
Tariffs are strongly seen as unhealthy for the price of residing in the US (76%), Individuals’ lifestyle (70%), creating American jobs (61%), in addition to the Chinese language (72%) and American (66%) economies.
A majority of Republicans, nonetheless, seem to largely agree with the Trump administration argument that tariffs are good for creating jobs (66%), the U.S. economic system (64%) and their very own lifestyle (52%).
Robust majorities of independents and Democrats disagree.
Most need commerce to proceed between the 2 international locations
A powerful majority (62%) opposes considerably decreasing commerce between the U.S. and China, particularly as a result of it may result in higher prices for American shoppers.
That is a change from 2020 and 2021 when, pre-Trump tariffs, majorities stated they’d be in favor of decreasing commerce — even when it meant increased prices.
Now, with Individuals feeling the pinch economically, they need decrease costs. Given so many issues that Individuals purchase are made in China, these tariffs have pushed up costs in client items.
A majority (58%) stated they’re in opposition to growing tariffs on merchandise imported from China.
Seven-in-10 stated they need to see tariffs lowered towards China in trade for the shopping for of extra U.S. agricultural merchandise and don’t desire commerce lowered.
There are some issues Individuals are cautious of in terms of the commerce relationship with China. For instance, 7 in 10 need to see U.S. firms prohibited from promoting delicate, high-tech merchandise to China.
A slim majority (53%) is in opposition to limiting the variety of Chinese language college students learning in the US.
However there is not broad consensus on these points.
Three-quarters of Republicans, for instance, need to enhance tariffs on imported merchandise from China, whereas 83% of Democrats (and 67% of independents) oppose.
Six in 10 Republicans additionally need to lower commerce between the international locations, even when it results in increased costs for Individuals, and seven in 10 need to restrict the variety of Chinese language college students learning in the US.
The conflict in Iran is seen as unhealthy for every little thing from nationwide safety to the economic system
China’s relationship with Iran is more likely to be a subject of debate between President Trump and China’s leaders.
Iran is one thing of a strategic associate for China, which buys a number of Iranian oil.
Individuals overwhelmingly really feel the conflict in Iran has been a foul factor for every little thing from the U.S. price of residing (86%) to U.S. nationwide safety (65%) and its popularity overseas (72%), in line with a Chicago Council/Ipsos survey on Iran that was additionally launched on Tuesday.
Despite the fact that a majority of respondents stated the conflict is unhealthy for China, too, extra respondents stated they thought it has been good for China’s place on the planet (36%) than U.S. nationwide safety (32%), U.S. relationships with allies (24%), the worldwide economic system (14%) or the price of residing within the U.S. (10%).
There are some political divides, too, after all. Stable majorities of Republicans assume the conflict has been good for U.S. nationwide safety (63%) and Israel’s safety (60%).
Half of Republicans additionally assume the conflict has been good for the US’ popularity (50%) and the US’ relationships with allies (49%).
Democrats and independents really feel very in another way. Simply 8% of Democrats and 29% of independents say that the conflict has been good for U.S. nationwide safety. On the conflict’s impact on the U.S.’s popularity all over the world, simply 5% of Democrats and 20% of independents stated it has been a superb factor.
Israel continues to be a political flashpoint
A powerful majority of Republicans (60%) stated the conflict has been good for Israel’s safety, however just one in 5 Democrats and 1 in 3 independents stated the identical within the Chicago Council/Ipsos Iran survey.
Most Republicans (58%) additionally stated Israel is enjoying a constructive position within the Center East, however 83% of Democrats and 70% of independents stated it’s enjoying a damaging one.
That mirrors a development in U.S. politics over the previous few years wherein extra Individuals say their sympathies lie extra with Palestinians than Israelis. That has been notably acute amongst Democrats.
Most Individuals do not observe information of overseas affairs carefully
Solely 42% stated they’re following information about U.S.-China relations not less than considerably carefully, the NPR/Chicago Council/Ipsos survey discovered.
International affairs, apart from the conflict in Iran, do not come near home points, just like the economic system and immigration — 70% stated they observe the economic system carefully, 67% stated that of the conflict in Iran, 65% stated that in terms of immigration.
Solely 43% stated they’re following occasions associated to the Russia-Ukraine conflict carefully.
These outcomes are primarily based on two nationwide surveys. Each had been carried out by Ipsos, utilizing its on-line panel. The primary, dealing principally with Individuals’ views of China, was carried out March 13-15, and contains interviews with 1,025 adults. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 proportion factors. The second set of questions targeted on Iran. It was carried out Could 1-3 and contains outcomes from 1,018 adults. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.2 proportion factors.
