A Pew Research Center survey published in March found that of the eight top long-range foreign policy goals Americans said “should be given top priority,” seven of them directly center on China.
The foreign policy goals Americans want President Joe Biden to prioritize the most include protecting American jobs, reducing the spread of infectious diseases and protecting against terrorist attacks. More than 70% of respondents surveyed chose those three issues as top priorities, according to the Pew Research Center.
The Pew Research Center surveyed 2,596 American adults via an online survey panel between Feb. 1-7.
When asked what foreign policy goals should be given top priority, Americans’ lowest priorities included promoting democracy abroad, reducing U.S. military commitments overseas, aiding refugees fleeing violence and reducing legal immigration in the U.S.https://t.co/F1Bz9nuJNa pic.twitter.com/jhrRJAS35R
— Pew Research Global (@pewglobal) April 19, 2021
More than 3.7 million jobs have been lost to China since its entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001, including more than 700,000 jobs lost during the first two years of former President Donald Trump’s term in office, according to a Jan. 2020 study by the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.
Controlling the spread of infectious diseases emerged as a top foreign policy priority during the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus originated in Wuhan, China, and has caused more than 3 million deaths worldwide, including roughly 567,000 American deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
A majority of respondents also said preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and improving relationships with U.S. allies should be top foreign policy priorities, according to the Pew Research Center.
China has been a nuclear power for decades, but recent reports suggest Beijing has helped Iran with its ballistic missile technology and construction of nuclear-capable warheads, according to The Diplomat. Some have also speculated China was using “gain of function” research to produce deadlier viruses capable of being used as biological weapons.
During his first foreign policy address, the president in February spoke about global cooperation and “rebuilding the muscles of democratic alliances” in order to address China’s economic and human rights abuses. Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday also reaffirmed bilateral relations as a way to counter China. (RELATED: Record Number Of Americans Now View China As Nation’s ‘Greatest Enemy’)
Among those polled, 48% of respondents said maintaining the U.S. military’s advantage over other countries should be a top foreign policy goal. China’s military spending has grown substantially in recent years, and top U.S. military officials have warned Beijing could strike Taiwan within a few years and even best the U.S. based on recent war games.
Additionally, 48% of respondents said limiting China’s power and influence should be a top foreign policy goal, according to the Pew Research Center.
Global climate change was the eighth most important foreign policy goal respondents cited. China is the largest carbon emitter in the world, constituting roughly 28% of global emissions. The nation’s carbon emissions also grew 4% last year despite a 3% global reduction as a result of the pandemic, according to a Carbon Brief analysis.