AnalysisOverall, 61% of thought leaders surveyed in Asia and Europe think Joe Biden will be better prepared to deal with China than President Trump (18%).
By the Numbers
- 54%
of respondents from Vietnam and 48% of respondents from India think Donald Trump is better prepared to deal with China than Joe Biden.
- 81%
of Australian respondents, 63% of South Korean respondents, and 58% of Japanese respondents believe Joe Biden is better prepared to deal with China than Donald Trump.
However, a plurality of survey respondents from India (48%) and a majority of survey respondents from Vietnam (54%) think Donald Trump will be better prepared to deal with China than Joe Biden, perhaps a show of support for decoupling supply chains and strategic competition more broadly. No European country thinks Donald Trump would be better prepared to deal with China.
A strong majority of Australian (81%), Japanese (58%), and Korean (63%) respondents also believe Joe Biden is better prepared to deal with China than Donald Trump. However, a significant percentage of respondents in Japan and South Korea do not know (25% and 24%, respectively), perhaps reflecting concern about the Trump administration’s demands on allies and anxiety stemming from the Obama administration’s brief flirtation with China’s proposal for a "new model of great power relations."
Respondents from Taiwan are divided, with 41% favoring Biden and 38% supporting Trump. This could reveal some concern that despite efforts by the Trump administration to demonstrate support for Taiwan, there are still frequent references in Taiwan’s media that they could become a "bargaining chip" in future U.S. negotiations with China.