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A recent Gallup poll indicates a shift in American perceptions of international threats, with fewer citizens viewing China and Russia as the primary adversaries of the United States compared to last year.
The survey, conducted among 1,016 adults between February 1 and 20, 2024, reveals that 41% of respondents now consider China the “greatest enemy” of the US, a decrease from 50% in the previous year. Similarly, the proportion of Americans identifying Russia as the top threat fell from 32% to 26%.
The poll highlights differing opinions among political affiliations, with Republicans and independents more inclined to view China as the foremost enemy, while Democrats are more likely to name Russia. Specifically, 67% of Republicans and 40% of independents see China as the primary threat, compared to only 18% of Democrats. Conversely, 48% of Democrats, 21% of independents, and 10% of Republicans regard Russia as the main adversary. Additionally, the survey notes an increase in concerns over Iran, with 9% of respondents naming it as the top threat, up from 2% last year. North Korea’s perception as a significant enemy has decreased slightly, with 4% of participants identifying it as a top threat, a decrease of 3 percentage points from the previous year.
Another finding from the Gallup poll was that 5% of Americans now view the United States as its worst enemy, marking a 4-point increase from the previous year. This sentiment is powerful among independents, with 11% seeing the US as its top enemy, the highest percentage since 2005. The poll also indicates that Israel and Ukraine are each viewed as the greatest enemy by 2% of respondents, with the Middle East and Iraq each receiving 1%.
In terms of international favorability, the poll released Monday shows Russia and North Korea at the bottom, with only 8% and 9% favorable ratings, respectively. On the other end of the spectrum, Canada and Japan lead with 83% favorable ratings each.