A seismic shift in global opinion has been revealed by a landmark study from the Pew Research Center, indicating that for the first time ever, the majority of countries surveyed view China more favourably than the United States. This watershed finding, based on polling over 42,000 individuals across 36 nations between February and May, marks a profound divergence in international sentiment towards the two superpowers.
The research found that 25 out of 36 countries expressed more positive opinions about China than the US – a stark reversal from previous surveys where views on China typically trailed or matched those on the US. Even during periods of declining American popularity, such as during the Bush and Obama administrations, positive sentiment for China has not previously surpassed that of its rival.
Despite low overall confidence in both Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to handle global affairs effectively, more countries expressed greater trust in Xi than in Trump. According to Jonathan Schulman, a researcher on the study, views on Xi are generally less polarised, whereas opinions on Trump tend to be marked by strong, often extreme convictions.
The narrowing gap in perceptions of personal freedoms is another significant finding. Although the US government remains widely seen as respecting its citizens' rights more than China's, the margin has decreased. Furthermore, China was perceived as interfering less in the affairs of other nations compared to the US – a factor that could contribute to its growing favourability.
Some countries have recorded particularly pronounced shifts towards a more positive view of China, including Spain, Indonesia, Italy, Greece, and Canada. Conversely, only six countries – predominantly stalwart US allies such as Poland, the Philippines, South Korea, India, Japan, and Israel – continued to favour the US more. Notably, middle-income nations tend to hold more positive views of China, while wealthier economies generally exhibit more negative sentiments, with Singapore being an exception.