Key facts
- Global favorability for China has risen, with more people viewing China positively than the U.S. in 25 out of 36 surveyed countries.
- Perceptions of the U.S. have declined globally, with President Donald Trump also viewed less favorably than Xi Jinping in many nations.
- This marks the first time in Pew's 20-year tracking that China has been viewed more positively than the U.S.
- The US is still seen to respect personal freedoms more than China, but the gap is narrowing.
- China is perceived to interfere less in other countries' affairs than the U.S.
Global perceptions of China and its leader Xi Jinping have improved, surpassing views of the United States and President Donald Trump for the first time in two decades, according to a Pew Research Center survey. The study, which polled over 42,000 people in 36 countries between February and May, found that in 25 of those nations, more respondents held favorable views of China than of the US.
Views in 22 out of the 36 countries and territories also are more favourable of Xi Jinping than Donald Trump. While confidence in both leaders remained generally low, Xi Jinping scored higher than Donald Trump in most surveyed countries. The US still leads in perceived respect for personal freedoms, but the gap has narrowed, and China is seen as interfering less in other countries' affairs than the US.
Experts suggest that the "volatility of US policy" and efforts by Beijing to improve its image, particularly in developing countries, may have contributed to the shift. The US handling of the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza, along with Trump's past actions and demands, have contributed to low approval in many countries. By comparison, China is seen to be a more reliable partner in many places and more likely to contribute to global peace and stability.