Living with the global Hegemon: How the Chinese Public Views the United States/ Yida Zhai

As part of a scholarly endeavor to explore micro-foundations of international relations (IR), amid the changing relations between China and the United States, this study examines the Chinese public's view of the United States using three-wave nationally representative survey data from 2011 to 2019. I established a theoretical framework to find out the cognitive, evaluative, and affective dimensions of the public view of a foreign country. The results indicate a lower perception of US influence in Asia and a higher perception of the negative impact of the United States on China. The view of the United States as a model country has also declined among the Chinese public. Mass media and nationalist orientations are associated with this unfavorable evaluation of the United States and an underestimation of its influence. However, internet use, international orientations, and the liberal democracy of the United States are associated with more positive views. China's engagement with the world and the Chinese authorities' manipulation of political socialization are two competing forces shaping the Chinese public's view of the United States.

CHINA'S RISE, INTERNET-USE, PUBLIC OPINION