Who is Winning the U.S.-China Power Competition? Foreign Aid and Public Support (Pre-Recorded)

• In Event: Public Opinion and International Cooperation

Abstract

The growing power competition between the U.S. and China has generated pressure on others to choose their sides between the two great powers over contentious issues (Dreher et al. 2018; Dreher and Strum 2012; Flores-Macías and Kreps 2013; Hwang et al. 2020; Kastner 2016). States, particularly those who have close economic, military, or strategic ties with the U.S., China, or both, have to deal with such pressure and balance the demands from the two great powers. While studies of the influence of these great powers on foreign policy positions of others are extensive, relatively few studies have examined how public opinion towards the U.S. and China have shifted around the world as the power competition continues. In this regard, this paper explores how foreign aid from China and the U.S. has affected public opinion in the recipients on the two great powers in recent decades. Particularly, we examine how aid for health from the U.S. and China amid the COVID-19 crisis affects public opinion in the recipients. Our findings indicate that China’s foreign aid generates significant positive influence on public opinion towards China in comparison to the U.S. in recent years as its volume exceeds the size of US aid in some countries. Such effects become distinct as the situation of health problem deteriorates. This implies that China is winning the power competition at least in terms of winning minds abroad.

Authors

• Jeeseon Hwang

• Wonjae Hwang, University of Tennessee