Americans on both sides of political aisle have concerns over China’s influence on the US: poll
The results of a new national poll reveal that an overwhelming majority of Americans on both sides of the political aisle have at least some degree of concern about China’s influence on major American institutions.
Trafalgar Group, in conjunction with the Convention of States Action, released a poll over the weekend showing how concerned or unconcerned Americans are about the Chinese Communist Party. The survey results reveal the views of 1,089 likely 2022 general election voters based on responses collected between July 12-13.
When asked how concerned they were about “China’s influence over our government, media, and culture,” a narrow majority of respondents (50.8%) indicated that they were “very concerned.”
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An additional 18.7% of participants said they were “somewhat concerned” about China’s influence on the U.S. and its institutions, while 11.5% simply described themselves as “concerned.”
Some 81% of respondents expressed some level of concern about the influence of China, while the remaining 18.9% maintained that they were “not concerned” about the geopolitical development.
Concern about the influence of China crossed party lines, although Republicans demonstrated a higher level of alarm about the situation than Democrats.
Among Democrats, a plurality (39.4%) of respondents stated that they were “very concerned” about China’s infiltration of American institutions, followed by 28.6% saying they were “not concerned,” 21.7% who were “somewhat concerned” and 10.3% agreeing that the term “concerned” represents their views of the CCP's influence on the U.S. government, media and culture.
More than 71% of Republicans reported that they were “very concerned” about China’s level of influence in the U.S., followed by 12.1% who said they were “somewhat concerned,” 8.5% who described themselves as “concerned” about China's influence and 7.7% who maintained that they were “not concerned.”
Those who identified with a minor political party or no political party at all also shared the concerns of their Democratic and Republican counterparts.
A plurality (36.9%) of those not affiliated with a major political party maintained that they were “very concerned” about Chinese influence in the U.S. compared to 24.1% who said they were “somewhat concerned,” 20.6% who were “not concerned” and 18.4% who felt “concerned.”
Those who agree that China has a sizable “influence over our government, media, and culture” often point to the behavior of corporate America as well as the entertainment industry as the justification for their opinion.
For example, actor and wrestler John Cena recently apologized for asserting that “Taiwan is the first country” that could watch his latest movie. The characterization of Taiwan as a country greatly upsets the CCP.
Al Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, asserted at the time that financial interests served as the motivating factor behind Cena’s apology.
“He has a big financial stake in this very movie and anything that he will produce or act in later being watched in China, and that means under the control of the Chinese Communist Party. When you have a totalitarian government, you must be totally in line,” Mohler said.
Mohler pointed to other examples of celebrities and corporate America catering to China so as not to get cut off from its lucrative market, specifically recalling the National Basketball Association’s reaction when the general manager for the Houston Rockets expressed support for the democracy protesters in Hong Kong, who want to free themselves from the CCP.
“The NBA quickly had to reassure the Chinese Communist Party that it was determined to play ball according to the Chinese rules,” Mohler added.
“And furthermore, you had major stars such as LeBron James who also, as The New York Times suggests, ‘offered a China-friendly response,’ saying that the then basketball manager ‘wasn’t educated on the situation at hand,’” he continued.
Mohler slammed the “moral surrender of so many cultural authorities, and those in the culture-making industry, to the repressive regime of China under the control of the Chinese Communist Party.”
The poll, which had a margin of error of 2.98%, is just one demonstration of bipartisan outrage about the behavior of the Chinese government.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which bans the sale of products made by the Uyghur ethnic minority who are forced into slave labor concentration camps by the Chinese government. The measure still awaits action in the U.S. House, which must approve the bill before it can head to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
In addition to the longstanding criticism for its treatment of Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities, China has faced increased scrutiny over the past year regarding its role in the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the pandemic has killed more than 4 million people worldwide, including over 600,000 Americans, and led many governments to institute lockdowns in response to the virus, which resulted in profound economic damage, and an increase in drug overdoses and suicides.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
