The Malaysian Insider

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Americans view China as both friend and foe

WASHINGTON, Nov 4 — A plurality of Americans see relations with China as the most important globally for the United States, a survey published yesterday showed, but more than half of those polled viewed China was an adversary.

The Thomson Reuters/Ipsos poll of 1,077 adults aged 18 and older across the United States a fortnight before President Barack Obama’s first official visit to China highlights US ambivalence about the key trade and diplomatic partner.

Asked to choose from a list of countries “the most important bilateral relationship the United States should have,” 34 per cent chose China. Next was Britain, selected by 23 per cent; and Canada, the choice of 18 per cent.

When asked to characterize China as either an “ally” or an “adversary,” 56 per cent characterized China as a foe, while only 33 put the country in the ally column, said Ipsos Public Affairs, which conducted the poll for Thomson Reuters.

Two per cent of Americans said China was both an ally and adversary, the same percentage who said it was neither. Seven per cent responded “don’t know,” the nonpartisan polling firm said.

The poll, conducted between October 29 and November 2, had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, Ipsos said.

Obama makes a key visit to China and other Asian countries next week at a time when Washington and Beijing are working closely on tackling the global financial crisis, climate change and how to handle diplomatic hot spots like North Korea.

But the two countries have skirmished over trade issues. US manufacturing and labour groups frequently accuse the Chinese of mercantilist business practices that have put American firms out of business with a loss of millions of jobs. — Reuters

Comments (2)

written by AgreeToDisagree, November 05, 2009

An ally will keep to his own backyard and at least not walk through his neighbours' flower beds. An ally will also not claim the lap dog that belongs to a house two streets away even though lapdog likes said ally so much. Not that another lapdog just one street away demands treats as much as it can get away with and treats are so costly.

Only a foe of course would dare claim all lapdogs in all streets as his own even though the watering dish for his own dogs at home is fast drying out. So lets leave the lapdogs in each street to their respective Masters so that these lapdogs will learn different tricks to entertain Masters everywhere, not leave droppings everywhere for both Masters to clean after.

So who is behaving like a foe or a friend? Learning to which lapdogs one can keep is the best start to a newer and more stable multipolar world.

written by netizen, November 05, 2009

I find the conclusion of the survey as reported by Reuters to be flawed.

The word 'adversary' does not necessary mean foe or enemy as concluded by the writer. It could also be interpreted by the respondents to mean as a competitor, as in competing for world power, technology, political and economic influence, etc.

There is nothing to support the notion that Americans viewed China as a foe other than making its own interpretive assumption of the survey itself. The article's analysis is rather shallow.