Poll shows 59% Americans hold positive opinion of China

The renowned US Committee of 100 and Asia Society held on Nov. 14 a symposium on "attitudes of American and Chinese peoples toward each other" in Manhattan, New York.

Poll shows that 59 percent of Americans hold positive attitude toward China, which is considerably higher than the 46 percent ten years ago.

A research advisor of the committee said 75 percent of Chinese Americans and most businesspersons are positive toward China. However, only 19 percent of congress assistants have such an attitude. According to the poll Americans pay most attention to the Chinese mainland's human rights issue. Moreover, a majority of Americans believe China, India and Mexico are the main reason of US employment loss.

Lu Xiaobo, director of the East Asia institute of Columbia University in New York, said there exist both the "China threat theory" and "US threat theory". The United States with its democratic system likes to impose democracy on other countries, which gives rise to antipathy in some countries. In particular, China with its enduring history believes it is the age of China and the US' bashing China would lead to stronger reaction. If China and the United States can share common economic interests, their economies will develop along a path towards partnership.

The Horizon Research Group said in its report on Chinese attitude toward the United States that 40 percent of Chinese hold positive opinion of America and 64 percent believe that America is the second country unfriendly toward China following Japan. A majority believe the United States is a hegemonic country indulging itself in interfering in other countries' internal affairs, while still others think the it has a powerful economy and is controlling other countries'. There are also some Chinese who believe China and America have different values, but people still admire American culture and its rather democratic and open system.

By People's Daily Online