In the Eyes of the Beholder: How China and the US See Each Other

With China-U.S. relations becoming simultaneously more integrated and complex, it is all the more important to understand the nature and determinants of reciprocal perceptions between Chinese and American publics. Using nationally representative, bi-national public opinion surveys, this article compares the attitudes of Chinese toward the U.S. with those of Americans toward China. The article gives primary attention to generalized attitudes toward each country but also studies domain-specific attitudes. The results suggest that Chinese hold more-favorable attitudes toward the U.S. than do Americans toward China. Chinese and Americans also differ on domain-specific issues. Chinese place greater importance on sovereignty issues and territorial disputes, while Americans give greater attention to universal values such as human rights and environmental degradation.