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US views harden on China, Iran ahead of election: poll

A.Rafay

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WASHINGTON: The US public’s views on China and Iran have hardened in the run-up to November 6 elections, according to a poll released on Friday that found sharp partisan gaps over issues including support for Israel.

The Pew Research Centre poll gave President Barack Obama a 47-43 percent edge on Mitt Romney on which would be better on foreign policy, a sharp gain for the challenger who trailed by 15 points on the same question a month earlier. Released ahead of the candidates’ debate on foreign policy Monday, the poll gave Obama a small advantage on handling Iran’s nuclear program and the Arab spring, while Romney was ranked higher on dealing with China’s trade policies.

The Pew poll said that 49 percent of Americans believed it was more important to get tough on China than to build a stronger relationship with the Asian power, a reverse from March 2011 when 53 percent prioritised strong ties. “We do see a change in opinion about China. The public is much more inclined to get tough with China about trade policies than it was a year ago,” said Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Centre.

Romney and Obama have both campaigned vowing a firm line on China, with the Republican challenger pledging that if he elected he would immediately declare that Beijing is manipulating its currency to boost its exports.

Obama entered office seeking a broader relationship with the rising power but says he has raised a record number of trade complaints against Beijing and has boosted military support to regional nations which accuse Beijing of growing assertiveness.

The poll also found a slight hardening of views on Iran, with 56 percent saying it was more important to take “a firm stand” against its contested nuclear program rather than to avoid military conflict, up from 50 percent when the question was asked in January.

But a mere nine percent of voters thought the president should focus more on foreign policy than domestic issues, a sharp drop from some 40 percent in 2007 when the United States was embroiled in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and Osama bin Laden was still alive. “A lot of the fall-away, obviously, has to do with lessening concern about terrorism as a national security threat,” Kohut said.

The finding is consistent with other recent polls which show Americans are more inward-looking after the wars during George W. Bush’s presidency and that the US public prefers cooperation with allies rather than going it alone. The poll found strong gaps in views on several foreign policy issues between Republicans and supporters of Obama’s Democratic Party.

Nearly half of Republicans said the United States did not back Israel enough, with only 13 percent saying Washington was too supportive. Among Democrats, only nine percent said the United States was insufficiently supportive of Israel and 25 percent said that Washington was too supportive, with most saying the current level was “about right.”

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
 
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It's funny, the only way to win the presidency of the richest and most powerful country in the world is by bashing China. The harsher the words the more votes you going to get. What the world has come into these days! :lol: I guess it's easy to blame you bank for your personal financial mismanagement.
 
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