Americans warm slightly to China ahead of Donald Trump’s Beijing visit: Study

American perceptions of China are showing modest improvement ahead of President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Beijing next month, even as overall sentiment remains largely negative.

A study released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center found that positive sentiment by Americans toward China has nearly doubled since 2023.

“Today, 27% of Americans have a positive opinion of China. That has risen 6 percentage points since last year and nearly doubled since 2023,” the study said.

Despite the shift, most Americans, 71%, still view China unfavorably, the study showed.

“When asked whether China is a partner, enemy or competitor of the United States, fewer Americans call China an enemy now than in 2025. But most Americans still see it as a competitor,” it said

Pew’s analysis drew on data from two surveys conducted in January and March 2026, involving nearly 12,000 adults who reflect a diverse cross-section of the US population.

The findings came as Trump is set to travel to Beijing from May 14-15 for a meeting with President Xi Jinping, marking the US president’s first visit to China in his second term.