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

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.