As Biden’s approval ratings plunge, is he about to get tougher on China?

Tentative detente between Beijing and Washington may not last long as the US president tries to shore up support at home

While Biden is often portrayed by Chinese state media as a weak leader, observers say he shouldn’t be underestimated

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US President Joe Biden meets Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a virtual summit on Tuesday. Recent polls have painted a worrying picture for the Biden administration. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:30pm, 20 Nov 2021

In China, official media outlets often portray Joe Biden as a weak leader. The US president, who turns 79 on Saturday, has also been mocked on China’s tightly controlled social media – over his age, gaffes and plunging approval ratings – against a backdrop of strained ties and rising anti-American sentiment.

While many observers see these portrayals as exaggerated, they say declining support for Biden at home could pose trouble for a tentative detente between the two powers following talks this week.

Recent US polls have painted a worrying picture for the Biden administration, just 10 months in, despite positive signs of economic recovery such as falling unemployment.

Biden’s job approval rating hit a new low of 41 per cent in the latest survey by The Washington Post and ABC News over rising inflation and the coronavirus, which is still ravaging the US. It was down from over 50 per cent before America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August.

In a poll by NBC News last month, more than 70 per cent of American voters – including many Democrats – said the US was headed in the wrong direction, complaining about the economy and Biden’s inability to unite the country.

Beijing and Washington are at odds over a long list of issues, from trade and technology to human rights. Photo: Reuters