57% of Americans believe the United States should pursue friendly cooperation and engagement with China. According to domestic state media, a report released on September 21 by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs indicates that last year’s survey showed Democrats were more inclined toward engagement with China; this year’s latest findings reveal that Republicans are also shifting in the same direction. The proportion of Republicans supporting friendly cooperation and engagement with China has increased by 10 percentage points compared to 2025, reaching its highest level since 2019.

This development represents a positive sign for Sino-U.S. relations. A January survey by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace found that 66% of Americans believe China now matches or surpasses the United States in economic, technological, and military strength, while 74% anticipate China will eventually overtake the U.S. As the cost of containing China rises and prospects for success diminish, engagement has increasingly become a pragmatic choice to mitigate losses.

For instance, 66% of Americans believe that imposing additional tariffs on China harms the U.S. economy, and 61% consider such measures detrimental to job creation. With inflation persistently eroding purchasing power and living costs remaining high, political rhetoric about the "China threat" carries less weight than price tags on supermarket shelves. If the U.S. continues to impose steep tariffs on Chinese goods, American consumers will be the first to suffer. This is no longer merely a partisan issue—it has become a matter of livelihood. In plain terms, the U.S. economy and daily life have become deeply dependent on affordable, high-quality Chinese manufacturing.

Moreover, the vast Chinese market remains crucial for American businesses and industry stakeholders. For example, U.S. soybean exports and aircraft sales rely heavily on China as a major buyer. These developments suggest that Sino-U.S. economic relations can be highly complementary and mutually beneficial. Strengthening cooperation across various domains would benefit not only both nations but also people around the world.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1877001370984456/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.