To Many Chinese, America Was Like ‘Heaven.’ Now They’re Not So Sure

Mr. Qi’s views are an example of the complex, sometimes contradictory attitudes toward the United States held across China — a love-hate relationship that presents an unusual challenge to the ruling Communist Party and its leader, Xi Jinping, as they try to defend their image at home amid the bruising trade war. Divided popular opinion — and ambivalence about America, even among some of its most ardent fans (and critics) — makes it difficult for Beijing to come down too hard on the United States. But they also increasingly see it as a strategic rival — a view partly fueled by pride in China’s rise, and by the party’s propaganda organs, which have long depicted America as a hostile, imperialist country that has tried to keep China down.

Source: www.nytimes.com