By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-10-03 14:16:44 | Updated at 2026-10-03 15:01:22
1 hour ago
President Donald Trump hosted a multi-day summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House in late September.
During the summit, both countries agreed to reduce tariffs on $30 billion of non-sensitive goods as Beijing extended a rare-earth truce.
A new Epoch Times survey of 783 readers gives a glimpse of how respondents reacted to the state of U.S.–China relations.
Technology
When asked which three issues should be the highest U.S. priorities regarding China, 65 percent of readers chose protecting U.S. technology, 48 percent selected protecting American manufacturing jobs, and 40 percent chose Taiwan and U.S. security, while 40 percent chose stopping fentanyl trafficking.
On the topic of artificial intelligence, 68 percent of participants agreed that the United States should seek an enforceable AI safety agreement with China, 15 percent disagreed, and 17 percent said they don’t know.
An overwhelming number of readers (91 percent) agreed that the United States should block chip exports that could strengthen China’s military, even at the expense of U.S. sales.
Participants almost unanimously said that the United States should expand sanctions against Chinese entities linked to cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure, with a whopping 96 percent agreeing, 2 percent disagreeing, and 2 percent saying they don’t know.
Products
When asked if people thought China would fulfill its commitments to buy U.S. farm products, aircraft, and coal, 21 percent of those polled agreed, exactly half (50 percent) disagreed, and 29 percent said they don’t know or were not sure.
The majority of readers (89 percent) agreed that the United States should produce more rare earths and other critical minerals domestically, even at higher cost, while 4 percent disagreed, and 8 percent said they didn’t know.
When asked if China’s new controls on fentanyl-related chemicals will reduce the flow of the drug into the United States, 14 percent of poll takers agreed, 46 percent disagreed, and 40 percent said they don’t know.
Tariffs
On Sept. 27, the White House said it would cut tariffs on products such as fireworks, tableware, artificial flowers, blankets, bed linens, highchairs, child safety seats, toys, fish hooks, and holiday decorations.
When those polled were asked whether the United States should lower tariffs on everyday Chinese goods to help curb inflation, 16 percent of respondents agreed, 62 percent disagreed, and 22 percent said they don’t know.
A hefty 85 percent of Epoch Times readers agreed that the United States should maintain tariffs on competing Chinese goods to protect U.S. manufacturers, 7 percent disagreed, and 8 percent said they don’t know.
Security
When asked if the United States should arm Taiwan for U.S. security, regardless of Beijing’s reaction, 74 percent of survey respondents agreed, 7 percent disagreed, and 19 percent said they don’t know.
A substantial 85 percent of polled readers agreed that further U.S. trade concessions should depend on China helping prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, 5 percent disagreed, and 10 percent said they don’t know.
Meanwhile, 67 percent of those surveyed agreed that progress on human rights and religious freedom should be a condition for further U.S. trade concessions to China, 13 percent disagreed, and 20 percent said they don’t know.
Commitments
When asked if the September summit produced too few concrete commitments from China, 57 percent of poll participants agreed, 10 percent disagreed, and 33 percent said they didn’t know.
When those polled were asked whether China gained more from the summit than the United States did, 27 percent of the sample group agreed, 21 percent disagreed, and 52 percent said they were not sure or did not know.
Most survey respondents agreed that the United States should offer tax incentives to bring manufacturing back from China, with a hefty 83 percent agreeing, 8 percent disagreeing, and 9 percent saying they don’t know.
