China an economic threat

A CLEAR majority of Americans see China as an economic threat, a poll showed Monday, as Barack Obama sought to bolster relations on his first trip to Beijing and Shanghai as president.

More than 70 per cent of those questioned in the CNN poll said they considered the Asian giant to be an economic threat, while only 28 per cent disagreed with the notion.

Two-thirds of those surveyed said they saw China as a source of unfair competition for American companies, while only a quarter viewed China positively as a huge potential market for US 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.'

Americans were split on whether China posed a military threat with slightly more, 51 per cent, agreeing with the statement than disagreeing (47 per cent).

A quarter of the 1,014 people questioned in the weekend poll said China had a good track record on human rights, but 68 per cent suggested the rights of Chinese citizens were not being respected.