Washington: As President Barack Obama and
his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao sought to deepen trust
during talks in China, a just-released poll here has found
that a majority of Americans view Beijing as a "military
threat" and source of "unfair competition" for US companies.
According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey,
51 per cent of the public consider China a military threat,
with 47 per cent disagreeing.
The poll`s release coincides with Obama`s maiden visit to
China to bolster ties. He discussed a host of issues with Hu,
including climate change, economy, Tibet and terrorism.
At a town hall meeting yesterday, Obama made the case to
Chinese students that the two countries` philosophical
differences should not get in the way of robust relations.
According to the survey, two-thirds of Americans see
China as a source of unfair competition for US companies,
while only a quarter are more likely to view China as a huge
potential market for American goods.
"That may be why 71 per cent of Americans consider China
an economic threat to the US," said CNN polling director
Keating Holland. "Americans tend to view foreign countries as
competition, and China is no exception."
Only a quarter of those questioned in the poll say that
China has a good track record on human rights. Sixty-eight per
cent suggested that China is doing a bad job respecting the
human rights of its citizens.
The issue of human rights has often been a sticking
point in Sino-US relations.
Bureau Report
