“Most Americans Lack Confidence in Chinese President Xi’s Handling of World Affairs: Pew Research Center Poll”

A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center has found that most Americans are not confident in how China’s top leader, President Xi Jinping, will handle world affairs. The survey, which was conducted in June and July of this year, also looked into American perceptions of China as a global superpower and its impact on the United States. The findings of the survey come at a time when tensions between the U.S. and China are high, with issues such as trade, human rights, and military aggression being major points of contention. This article will explore the reasons behind the lack of confidence in Xi’s leadership and what it means for the relationship between the two nations.


A new poll by the Pew Research Center has found that most Americans have little confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping when it comes to world affairs. The survey, which canvassed over 3,500 adults between 20th and 26th March, found that 47% of respondents had “no confidence at all” in Xi’s handling of global issues. Some 30% of those surveyed said they had “not too much confidence” in the Chinese leader, while only 22% expressed some degree of confidence.

Despite this pessimism, more than half of those surveyed said that the US and China could work together in key areas such as trade and economic policy, and student exchanges. Over 50% of respondents believed that cooperation between the two countries is possible in these fields, but there was less confidence when it came to other significant global challenges. For instance, less than half of those surveyed thought the US and China could work together in resolving international conflicts, climate change policy and dealing with the spread of infectious diseases.

China’s role in world affairs has been under particular scrutiny recently, especially in the context of the ongoing tension between China and Taiwan, and the ongoing accusations against China relating to Covid-19. In addition, Xi has consolidated his power in China and is seeking to bolster the country’s global influence. However, the Pew survey suggests that many Americans are not convinced of China’s intentions or positive impact in global affairs. Nearly three-quarters of respondents believed that China does not take the interests of other countries, such as the US, into account, and that it interferes in the affairs of other nations.

Furthermore, the survey found that over 50% of respondents believed that China does not contribute to global peace and stability. This directly contradicts the narrative that the Chinese government promotes, that China is a significant contributor to world peace and economic development. For example, China’s GDP has accounted for over 15% of global GDP in recent years, and it has overtaken Japan to become the world’s second-largest economy.

However, the Pew survey emphasises a lack of confidence in China’s intentions, particularly in relation to the US. When asked about China-US cooperation, the only areas that more than half of respondents thought were possible were trade, economic policy and student exchanges. Other areas, including infectious diseases, climate change and international conflicts, were not viewed as areas in which the US and China could work together.

The survey is a clear indication of the tensions between the US and China, which have been escalating in recent years. The Biden administration has emphasised the significance of the competition between the two countries and has imposed export bans on critical semiconductor technology to China. The Trump administration had previously levied tariffs on Chinese goods and blacklisted Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei. In this context, the Pew survey findings suggest that many Americans have little confidence in China’s contributions to the world or the potential for cooperation between the two countries.