Mirror images

Christine Y. Chen talks about this survey released by the Committee of 100. I find it rather interesting.

• 60% of Chinese have a favorable impression of the U.S. and 26% have a negative impression. 52% of Americans have a favorable impression of China, with 45% looking at the Middle Kingdom unfavorably.

• 82% of Chinese believe that bilateral trade benefits both countries. 72% of Americans feel the same.

• Chinese respondents say that the U.S. is their country's most important global partner, with Russia second. American respondents believe that the United Kingdom and Japan are their two most important relationships. China comes in at #3.
  

Her explanation:

But maybe the reason the Chinese like the Americans so much is because they're not worried. The most interesting data looks at projected superpower status. Twenty years from now, only 49% of Americans and a mere 20% of Chinese think that the U.S. will be the world's leading power, whereas 55% of Chinese and 23% of Americans think that China will lead.

The complete survey is here.

In IR, we learn how "mirror images" shape perceptions between adversaries. Considering the source of the survey, maybe it's another signal released by Beijing to support and convince Washington to believe in China's "peaceful rise to the world."