A majority of Americans view China as either an ally or a nation friendly to the U.S., according to a poll taken ahead of the so-called G-2 summit meeting in California.
The Gallup survey showed that 11 percent of U.S. people regard China as an ally and 44 percent as a country friendly to the U.S.
Forty percent say it is either unfriendly (26%) or an enemy (14%), said the polling agency. It conducted phone interviews with a random sample of 1,529 adults, age 18 and older, across the U.S. from June 1-4.
"Americans have mixed views of China, with few describing the emerging superpower as an ally or an enemy of the United States, but more viewing it as a friendly than an unfriendly nation," Gallup said.
Americans have generally been positive toward China when Gallup has done the annual survey for the past 13 years, apart from a sharply negative turn in 2001 after a Chinese fighter jet collided with a U.S. surveillance plane. The U.S. plane made an emergency landing but the Chinese government detained the U.S. crew for 12 days.
It remains uncertain whether the meeting between President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping, near Palm Springs Friday and Saturday, will have a big impact on American's perception of China. The leaders hope to lay the groundwork for a stronger partnership as they discuss a range of bilateral, regional and global issues.
But they face a set of thorny topics such as cybersecurity and North Korea.
"These meetings may not dramatically alter Americans' perceptions of China in the short term, but they might establish a more cooperative and friendly relationship between China and the United States that could lead to more Americans viewing China as a friend or an ally over time," Gallup said.
On North Korea, meanwhile, 58 percent of respondents considered it an enemy and 26 percent as unfriendly, showed the latest survey. q