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Chicago Council and Asan Institute surveys conducted in 2019 find that both South Koreans and Americans see a strengthened US-ROK alliance as an asset in dealing with China, suggesting that Washington and Seoul can afford to strengthen coordination between their policies toward China.
Findings show a majority of Americans reject ideas of the United States retreating from the world, abdicating international leadership, and abandoning alliances and global institutions.
While the American public is hesitant to get involved in a conflict between China and Japan, Americans across party lines want to build strong relations with US allies in Asia.
The Trump administration’s active efforts to portray China as a bad international actor will further heighten tensions between the two countries, but as of yet, the American public does not yet see China as an urgent threat to national security.
The 2018 Chicago Council Survey indicates that Americans now supported active US engagement in world affairs, the largest majority since 1974—except for just after the September 11 attacks.