According to a Rasmussen Reports poll issued on Thursday, over half of the voters think a war between the United States and China is likely to occur within the next five years.
48 percent of respondents to the poll said China is an “enemy” of the United States, compared to just 11 percent who said it is an ally and 36 percent who said it is “somewhere in between.” China is viewed as an “enemy” by the majority of Republicans (66%) as well as 46% of independents and 33% of Democrats.
Overall, 59% of respondents think President Biden has handled China-related issues fairly or poorly, while 47% of those respondents think he has handled them poorly.
48 percent of respondents who were asked how probable it is that the United States will be at war with China “in the next five years” said that it is at least “somewhat” likely. Particularly, 18% thought it is “very probable,” while 30% said it is “somewhat likely.”
Just over a quarter 27% and 11%, respectively, felt it is “not very probable” and “not likely at all.” 58 percent of Republicans agree that it is at least somewhat plausible.
Rasmussen Reports has more to say:
“A majority of voters (57%) under the age of 40 think it’s at least somewhat possible that the US would go to war with China in the next five years, compared to 46% of voters between the ages of 40 and 64 and 38% of voters 65 and over. Voters under 40, however, are less inclined than their elders to give Biden a low assessment for how he handled China-related matters.”
The survey has a +/- 3 percent margin of error and was conducted from February 5 to 7, 2023, among 900 potential American voters. It follows the many rumors about the Chinese spy balloon, which traveled across the country until being eventually brought down by American forces off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday.
Images of the balloon, according to a senior State Department official, confirmed it “was plainly for intelligence surveillance and incongruous with the equipment onboard weather balloons,” despite China’s attempts to allay worries by claiming it was a “civilian airship” investigating weather.
The Biden administration is allegedly considering “broader attempts to expose and confront China’s bigger monitoring activities that represent a threat to our national security, as well as to our friends and partners” after allowing the balloon to traverse the country. Republican legislators are requesting answers in the meantime.
“Our administration was aware, at least TWO DAYS in advance, that a Chinese military surveillance balloon would fly over the United States. But they did nothing to stop it,” said Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), who demanded an explanation.
