Only 34% of the so-called Generation Z in the United States consider China’s development to be a “critical threat” to the country, a figure that is below the level recorded before the pandemic and the lowest among all generations evaluated, according to research published on August 12 by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (CCAG). The research considers Generation Z to be those born between 1997 and 2013.
The data brings together two opinion surveys carried out by the company Ipsos: one with 1,025 respondents, carried out in March 2026 in partnership with United States National Public Radio (NPR), and another with 2,148 participants, held in July 2025.
Among Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), 62% consider China’s advance a critical threat; in Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980), the rate is 56%; among Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996), 43%. The Generation Z index fell from 50% in 2020 to 34% in 2026, and was the only group whose threat perception was lower than that recorded before the pandemic, according to the study.
Among members of the younger generation, 25% say that China does not pose any threat to the country. This figure drops to 16% among Millennials, 11% among Generation X and 4% among Boomers.
The survey also addressed the position in relation to cooperation with China. Six in ten members of Generation Z (59%) and Millennials (58%) are in favor of a policy of “cooperation and friendly relations” with China. In the case of Boomers and Generation X, the figure drops to 48%.
The rates for the two youngest groups rose more than 20 percentage points compared to 2024.
Chinese students and fees
Seven in ten Millennials (69%) and members of Generation Z (69%) reject the reduction of bilateral trade with China, and two thirds of each generation (66%) are against increasing tariffs on products imported from the country, according to the study. Regarding the impact of tariffs that are already in force, 76% of respondents overall say that the measures have a negative effect on the cost of living in the United States. The proportion ranges from 71% among Boomers to 78% among Millennials and Generation Z.
While 56% of Boomers and 63% of Gen X support limiting the number of Chinese students at US universities, 64% of Gen Z and 65% of Millennials are against this measure.
In the US Congress, two bills propose severe restrictions on the issuance of visas to students from countries that the US government classifies as “adversaries”. The “Stop CCP VISAs Act” (CCP, in reference to the Communist Party of China), introduced in March 2025 by Rep. Riley Moore (Republican, West Virginia), proposes a complete ban on F, J, and M visas for Chinese citizens.
O “Student Visa Integrity Act“, by Senator Tommy Tuberville (Republican, Alabama), proposes to veto students from China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Venezuela. The proposals are in addition to Presidential Proclamation 10,043, signed by Trump in May 2020 and maintained by the Biden administration, which suspended F and J visas for Chinese researchers and graduate students allegedly linked to entities implementing China’s civil-military fusion strategy.
The report also indicates that, with the increase in participation of younger generations in US elections, the gap between Washington’s policy towards China and popular perception towards the country may continue to widen.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
