Most Americans See China Unfavorably, Poll Finds
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Stockbyte/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — China’s future president has some bridges to build on his visit to the United States: More than half of Americans continue to see his country unfavorably overall.
Fifty-two percent of those surveyed in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll expressed an unfavorable impression of China, compared to 37 percent who see it favorably. That continues a dramatic turnaround from a brief period of overwhelmingly positive views at the time of China’s pro-democracy demonstrations nearly a quarter century ago.
Strength of sentiment in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, also indicates China’s image problem: Nearly three times as many Americans see it “strongly” unfavorably — 26 percent — as strongly favorably — 9 percent. Nonetheless, it’s perhaps surprising that strongly negative views aren’t higher, given the economic competition between the two countries.
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping meets with President Obama in Washington on Tuesday. Xi is expected to take over general secretary of China’s Communist Party this year and as the country’s president in 2013.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio