More and more Americans see China as an enemy

A growing number of Americans see China as an “enemy,” according to a survey by the Pew Research Center that highlights mounting popular antipathy towards the Asian giant even as political relations appear to stabilize.

For the fifth consecutive year, most Americans have an unfavorable view of China, according to Pew. More than 80% of US adults view the nation unfavorably, including 43% who classified their views as “very unfavorable.”

Just 6% of Americans see China as a partner to the US, while 50% called it a competitor and 42% an enemy, compared with just a quarter two years ago.

Republican voters and right-leaning independents are about twice as likely as their liberal counterparts to hold a very unfavorable view of China and to classify the nation as an enemy of the US. Older Americans are also more critical of China; 61% of adults age 65 and older hold a very unfavorable view.