There's little doubt that anti-China sentiment is rising in the United States in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. A new poll from Politico and Morning Consult showed that 31 percent of Americans consider China an "enemy," an 11-point jump since January. Coupled with the 30 percent who consider Beijing an "unfriendly" government, that means more than half of the country harbors negative feelings toward China. But, per the poll, that doesn't translate to a rejection of diplomacy.
Those surveyed still believe the U.S. and China should work together to combat the coronavirus, and it's by a pretty hefty margin. While 30 percent of Americans think the U.S. needs to focus on holding China accountable for alleged wrongdoing in its handling of the pandemic, even if that means cutting ties, 58 percent of Americans believe Washington should be willing to set aside the blame game and work alongside Beijing. Ultimately, it seems Americans — at least for now — are more concerned with combating COVID-19 than they are about punishing a global power.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why are Republicans suddenly panicking about DOGE?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As Trump and Musk take a chainsaw to the federal government, a growing number of Republicans worry that the massive cuts are hitting a little too close to home
-
What is JD Vance's Net Worth?In Depth The vice president is rich. But not nearly as wealthy as his boss and many of his boss' appointees
-
How to travel in the wake of a natural disasterThe Week Recommends Stay safe while being respectful
-
Mitch McConnell won't seek reelectionSpeed Read The longest-serving Senate party leader is retiring
-
Trump reportedly wants to take over US Postal ServiceSpeed Read President Trump is making plans to disband the leadership of USPS and absorb the agency into his administration
-
Trump seeks to end New York's congestion pricingSpeed Read The MTA quickly filed a lawsuit to stop the move
-
Trump officials try to reverse DOGE-led firingsSpeed Read Mass firings by Elon Musk's team have included employees working on the H5N1 bird flu epidemic and US nuclear weapons programs
-
Trump blames Ukraine for war after US-Russia talksSpeed Read The US and Russia have agreed to work together on ending the Ukraine war — but President Trump has flipped America's approach
-
Musk's DOGE seeks access to IRS, Social Security filesSpeed Read If cleared, the Department of Government Efficiency would have access to tax returns, bank records and other highly personal information about most Americans
-
Senate confirms RFK Jr. as health secretarySpeed Read The noted vaccine skeptic is now in charge of America's massive public health system
-
Trump lays out plans for broad 'reciprocal' tariffsSpeed Read Tariffs imposed on countries that are deemed to be treating the US unfairly could ignite a global trade war and worsen American inflation
