Most Americans Back Friendly Engagement With China, Survey Finds

A majority of Americans want their country to pursue friendly cooperation and engagement with China, according to a survey by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs released on Monday.

The poll, conducted from July 10 to 21 among 2,156 adults across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., found that 57 percent of respondents favoured friendly cooperation and engagement between the two countries. The findings extend a trend of rising public support for bilateral exchanges since 2024 and were published days before President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States.

Support has grown across the political spectrum. Backing among Republicans for friendly cooperation and engagement with China rose 10 percentage points from 2025, reaching its highest level since 2019. Democrats, too, are increasingly inclined toward engagement, the survey indicated.

American perceptions of China also appear to be warming. Compared with 2021, more respondents now believe China is gaining greater respect on the world stage.

The release of the survey comes as the two presidents are expected to complete reciprocal visits within months. During the Beijing summit in May, Xi and Trump agreed on a new vision of building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability over the next three years and beyond.