WASHINGTON — For the first time in approximately 20 years of global opinion tracking, more people around the world view China favorably than the United States, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center — a dramatic reversal that researchers say is closely tied to friction between the Trump administration and American allies.
Out of 36 countries and territories surveyed, people in 25 of them — including Canada and Mexico — now hold a more positive view of China than the U.S. Only six countries still view the United States more favorably than China. The poll was conducted between February and May, a period during which the United States and Israel launched a military campaign against Iran.
In 22 of the 36 countries and territories surveyed, people also view Chinese leader Xi Jinping more favorably than U.S. President Donald Trump. That includes Canada, Mexico, and major European nations such as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom — though researchers note that people in many of those countries have low confidence in both leaders.
Laura Silver, associate director of Pew’s Global Attitudes Research and one of the study’s authors, said this marks an unprecedented milestone. While global opinions of China and the U.S. have been close at various points in the past, China has never before come out significantly ahead — until now.
Silver said the shift is partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic fading from public consciousness, while at the same time global perceptions of the United States have deteriorated.
