TITLE:
Determinants of American Public Attitudes toward China: Evidence from the Pew Global Attitudes Survey
AUTHORS:
Jihui Zhao
KEYWORDS:
Attitudes toward China, American Polls on China, China-US Relations, Influence Factors, Public Opinions
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.6,
May
28,
2026
ABSTRACT: Against the backdrop of globalization and profound adjustments in the international landscape, the attitude of the American people towards China, as a “barometer” of Sino-US relations, is increasingly becoming a key factor in understanding the cognitive differences between the two sides. This study is based on the data from the Pew Research Center’s (2023) Global Attitudes Project survey, and uses a binary logistic regression model to systematically explore the mechanisms by which individual cognition, group identity, and media exposure affect the favorability of the American public towards China. Research has found that factors influencing American attitudes towards China include the comprehensive strength of both China and the United States, media exposure, perception of strategic competition, satisfaction with democracy, and perception of Chinese overseas engagement. Further analysis shows that the American public’s understanding of China’s economic development tends to be positive, and social media has also improved their negative perception of China. However, the strategic competition between China and the United States, ideological biases towards China, and misunderstandings of China’s foreign policy have led to a more negative attitude towards China. Therefore, both China and the United States should strengthen cultural exchanges, enhance mutual understanding, weaken zero sum game thinking with common economic interests, and jointly recommend the return of bilateral relations to the right track.