8-in-10 Voters in the U.S. and Europe Are Concerned by China’s Vision for a New Global Order;
7-in-10 Believe Western Countries Should Work Together and Use AI to Maintain Their Edge Over China
Washington, DC – As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes global power and competition, a new survey highlights growing public concern about China’s ambitions and strong support for Western cooperation to stay ahead.
A new survey released today by the American Edge Project (AEP) reveals that voters across both the U.S. and Europe share a common set of values and want Western countries to work together to invest in AI and leverage technology to support their economies, national security, and edge over China. Findings also demonstrate that voters on both sides of the Atlantic are deeply worried about China’s plans to create a new global order and its technological threat to Western nations.
“For the fifth consecutive year, voters across the U.S. and Europe see what’s at stake: China isn’t just competing in the tech race – it’s trying to rewrite the global order,” said Doug Kelly, Chief Executive Officer of AEP. “Voters on both sides of the Atlantic overwhelmingly want America and its allies to unite, invest in AI, and keep technological leadership in democratic hands. This isn’t just a tech race: it’s a fight to secure the future of free societies.”
This poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters in the U.S., 1,000 registered voters in the U.K., 1,000 registered voters in France, 1,000 registered voters in Germany, and 500 voters in Belgium (with Brussels considered the de facto capital of the European Union) between October 7 and October 20, 2025. This survey is a continuation of research by the AEP that began in 2021, with surveys being conducted annually.
To read the full research and analysis from this study, see the memo.
Key findings include:
- U.S. and European voters share common values and view the values of foreign adversaries – such as China and Russia – in opposition. On both sides of the Atlantic, there continues to be agreement that “Europe and the U.S. should work together to defend our shared values” (82% in U.S., 77% in Europe). Both American and European voters believe the other allows for freedom of speech (75% in U.S., 58% in Europe) and believe the other values a “free and open internet” (71% in U.S., 65% in Europe). These shared values stand in stark contrast to how American and European voters perceive the values exhibited by China and Russia. In particular, Western voters believe China uses “state-sponsored technology companies to discriminate and repress dissenters” (77% in U.S., 77% in Europe) and don’t see Russia sharing the same values as their own country (85% in U.S., 88% in Europe).
- Western voters are worried about China’s ambition to fortify alliances with non-Western countries and create a new global order to challenge the West. On both sides of the Atlantic, more than eight-in-10 voters are concerned by recent news of Chinese President Xi Jinping holding a massive military parade to challenge Western powers and – separately – hosting China-friendly foreign leaders to offer financial incentives to countries that support his vision for a new global security and economic order.
- Western voters are extremely concerned about foreign technological threats and want to invest in AI in order to maintain their edge over China. An overwhelming majority of voters in the U.S. and Europe agree that China and Russia are a threat to their economic wellbeing and national security. Further, about nine-in-10 are alarmed by the prospect of China and Russia conducting cyberattacks on their country’s critical infrastructure, hacking government entities and private citizens, and launching political influence campaigns. More than seven-in-10 say that “to compete with China and maintain their edge, Europe and the U.S. need to invest in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and cloud computing”.
- Western voters are united in their support for innovations in both open-source and closed-source AI and oppose overregulation of either. As Western voters become more familiar with AI, they are becoming more favorable of it (AI has a net favorability of +28 points among U.S. voters and +25 points among European voters, indicating that both familiarity and favorability are up from 2024). Additionally, the vast majority of Western voters want to make space for innovations in both open- and closed-source AI, and seven-in-10 agree their countries need to stay away from overregulating either model.
- Western voters agree that domestic innovations in AI and tech will help their nation compete on a global level. 3-in-5 voters on both sides of the Atlantic agree that their country’s national security and economic growth will be better off if their domestically designed AI (rather than China’s) is adopted globally and can compete with the technology of foreign competitors.
- Most U.S. and European voters view Western technological cooperation as a way to support their country’s economy, protect their national security, and guard against China’s growing influence. Voters surveyed across the Western alliance continue to agree that the U.S. and Europe must cooperate to protect and strengthen their technological edge against foreign threats. And similar to where voters were in 2024, once again, about eight-in-10 voters say Western countries should work together against common threats (82% in U.S., 78% in Europe), and against common adversaries (82% in U.S., 76% in Europe).
The bottom line: For the fifth straight year, this survey data demonstrates that Western voters are concerned about threats posed by China and Russia, especially as China pushes to create and lead a new global order counter to the West. Western voters who share a common set of values want to lean on their alliances and invest in technological innovations – such as AI – to protect their economies, national security, and competitive edge.
BACKGROUND:
The American Edge Project is a coalition of domestic organizations representing a cross-section of U.S. innovators who are dedicated to telling the story about technology’s positive influence on America’s economy and the vital role innovation plays in our society. Former New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, former U.S. Representative Chris Carney, and former Federal Election Commission Chairman Bradley A. Smith are directors of the American Edge Project. AEP’s National Security Advisory Board is comprised of Former White House Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Advisor Frances Townsend; retired four-star General Joseph F. Dunford Jr., United States Marine Corps (USMC), who served as former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and former Acting Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Michael J. Morell. Former U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) serve as Co-Chairs of the Project’s Economic Advisory Board. Former U.S. Representative Greg Walden (R-OR) and Former U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) serve as Co-Chairs of the Project’s Open & Accessible Internet Advisory Board.
Visit AmericanEdgeProject.org for more information.
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