A new survey found that animosity between US and Chinese citizens has fallen back to the levels before the spy balloon incident.
Uptick in Sentiment
According to Morning Consult, “public rancor” over the issue that created a tense Cold War-like environment from January this year, “appears to be fading.”
The shares of U.S. and Chinese adults who say the United States and China are in a cold war:
— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) August 28, 2023
U.S. Adults: 22%
Chinese Adults: 22%
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Since April, the number of American adults holding unfavourable views of China, dipped to pre-balloongate levels. Likewise, Chinese favourability toward the US has also rebounded, increasing 5 percentage points since July.
The business intelligence company believes that US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s visit to Beijing that month — which was well received by the Chinese public — likely played a contributing role.
Moreover, China’s struggling economy may also have been a factor for its outward animosity and unfavourability toward the US, whose levels fell roughly 11 points since China’s reopening in January.
Majorities of U.S. and Chinese adults expect bilateral military and economic tensions to escalate in the coming year, according to our latest data.
— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) August 28, 2023
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Notably, the shares of US and Chinese adults, who view the other as an “enemy or unfriendly” similarly declined by roughly 14 and 9 points since March, respectively.
The upward trend bodes well for US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo’s ongoing visit to Beijing.
Future Outlook
Despite the uptick in sentiment on both sides, a majority of adults “expect bilateral military and economic tensions to escalate in the coming year,” as “de-risking supply chains continues to be a prudent course for companies heavily invested in China.”