Survey finds US public opinion shifting in favour of engagement with China

Beijing seen as less of a threat in Chicago Council on Global Affairs survey, although a partisan divide exists

On the eve of this week’s summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Americans feel better about China, according to a poll released on Monday. They see Beijing as less of a threat, are less supportive of Taiwan and are more likely to favour engagement over containment than last year or in 2024, when views hit an all-time low.

As with almost everything in the US these days, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs survey revealed a partisan divide. And while the views expressed were less hawkish than in recent years, 40 per cent of Americans still supported limiting China’s power.

“There’s not a bipartisan consensus among the public in favour of a competitive containment approach,” said Craig Kafura, the Council’s public opinion and foreign policy director. “If Americans were really hawkish on China, I think that would bode poorly for stability.”

The survey found that 57 per cent of Americans favoured engaging with China, an increase from the all-time low in 2024 and the highest result in Council polling since 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. But it is still below the high mark of 68 per cent in 2019.