WASHINGTON, April 4 (Xinhua) -- A new U.S. poll released Tuesday found that Americans' views of China have greatly improved in the past year.

The poll was published ahead of the first meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in Florida later this week.

The Feb. 16-March 15 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center showed that 44 percent of Americans have a favorable view of China, a 7-percent rise over a year ago.

The rise in Americans' favorable ratings of China may be related to the easing of Americans' concerns about the U.S. economy, Pew said.

Currently, 58 percent of Americans say the U.S. economic situation is either very or somewhat good, up from 44 percent in 2016, and 40 percent in 2015, the poll showed.

There are notable differences along partisan lines, with Democrats significantly more likely than Republicans or independents to offer a positive opinion of China, Pew said.

Despite the negative rhetoric about China by candidates during the 2016 presidential campaign, ratings of China have become more positive among both Republicans and Democrats, according to the survey.

Now 39 percent of Republicans have a favorable opinion of China, up from 27 percent a year ago. Among Democrats, 49 percent hold a favorable opinion, up from 39 percent a year ago, the poll found.

Americans are more worried about China's economic strengthening, at 52 percent, than its military power, at 36 percent, the poll discovered.