ISLAMABAD: China and its leader, Xi Jinping, are now regarded more favorably than the United States and former President Donald Trump in much of the world. This perspective is highlighted by a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, which indicates a substantial shift in global public opinion following years of US dominance in international favorability ratings.
The survey, released Wednesday, found that China enjoys higher favorability ratings than the United States in 25 of the 36 countries and territories surveyed. Xi also received more favorable ratings than Trump in 22 of those places, including Canada, Mexico, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
The findings represent the first time in roughly two decades of Pew's global attitudes research that China has surpassed the US in overall international favorability.
The poll was conducted between February and May, a period marked by heightened geopolitical tensions, including the US-Israel war on Iran.
Laura Silver, associate director of Pew's Global Attitudes Research and one of the study's lead researchers, said the shift reflects both declining perceptions of the US and improving views of China.
According to Silver, concerns about US foreign policy, including Washington's role in global conflicts and strained relations with allies, contributed to lower confidence in Trump and a broader decline in America's international image.
The survey found that favorable views of the United States remain stronger than those of China in only six countries: Poland, the Philippines, South Korea, India, Japan and Israel.
The report also suggests that China has benefited from the fading impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public opinion. During the height of the pandemic, global perceptions of Beijing had fallen sharply. As the pandemic has become less dominant, China's image has recovered in many countries.
Silver said, “There was just an actual relationship between the outbreak of the war and the sense that the US is just not contributing to peace and stability and that people have less confidence in Donald Trump”.
China welcomes findings
The Chinese Embassy in Washington welcomed the findings, saying the survey demonstrates that China's governance and development achievements are gaining broader international recognition.
“By comparison, we know that China is seen to be a more reliable partner in many places. It’s more likely to be seen to contribute to global peace and stability,” the researcher said.
Trump’s demands to control Greenland, the American military raid that captured Venezuela’s then-leader Nicolás Maduro, and the US handling of the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza also have led to low approval ratings in many countries, Silver said.
The Chinese embassy in Washington said the latest poll “demonstrates that China’s governance achievements and development progress are widely recognized.” The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the release of the report.
Some of the most dramatic changes occurred among US allies. In Canada, favorable views of the United States fell to 33%, down from 57% in 2023, while positive views of China rose from 14% to 44% over the same period.
Several major European countries, including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands, also shifted toward viewing China more favorably than the United States.
Within the United States, Americans now hold nearly equal views of both countries. Three years ago, Americans viewed the United States far more positively than China.
Despite the broader shift in global opinion, the survey found that the United States continues to be viewed more positively than China on issues related to respect for personal freedoms, although that advantage has narrowed.
Pew surveyed more than 42,000 adults across 35 countries and the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The survey's margin of error ranged from 2.3 to 5.5 percentage points, depending on the country.
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