Despite U.S. efforts to woo Chinese financing, Americans are wary of direct investment by Chinese firms into American companies, according to a survey by Hill+Knowlton Strategies.

Thirty-four percent of Americans say they are not comfortable with any such investment into U.S. firms, regardless of the level of control to be exerted by Chinese financiers. Notably, 51% of Americans see China as the greatest threat to the U.S. economy.

Ron Hutcheson, senior VP for H+K who leads the firm's Washington corporate advisory practice, sees a mixed message coming from the U.S. toward the Asia juggernaut, while Canada and the U.K. are more inviting to Chinese investment. "In contrast, the U.S. is sending a mixed message that reflects significant public suspicion toward China," he said.

H+K conducted the survey in mid-May, ahead of this weekend's landmark meeting between President Barack Obama and Chinese president Xi Jinping and just before China's top meat producer bid $4.7B for Virginia-based Smithfield Foods.

In fact, 37% of Americans in H+K's survey say that closer ties to China would be harmful to the U.S. economy, compared with 30% who say it would benefit the U.S.

H+K's Research+Data Insights conducted the survey of nearly 1,200 U.S. adults from May15-17.

H+K released the survey with the Organization for International Investment, a D.C. trade group of the U.S. operations of global companies. OFII president and CEO Nancy McLernon warns lawmakers to avoid "knee-jerk reactions" to Chinese companies investing in the U.S. "Our missteps in this area will be other countries' gains," she said.

H+K says the burden is on Chinese investors to be transparent and communicate the benefits of their U.S. moves.