China is viewed more favourably than the United States globally, marking a reversal, a Pew Research Center survey found. China received better ratings than the US in 25 of 36 countries and territories, including Canada and Mexico. Only six countries viewed the US more positively.
Pew surveyed 42,151 adults across 35 countries, plus the West Bank and East Jerusalem, from February to May. Margins of error ranged from 2.3 to 5.5 percentage points.
China gains as US standing falls
During the survey, the US and Israel launched a war against Iran. Pew researcher Laura Silver linked the conflict to worsening perceptions of Washington.
“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,” she said.
Silver cited Trump’s demands to control Greenland, the US raid that captured Venezuela’s leader Nicolás Maduro and Washington’s handling of the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza.
“The US has done a lot in terms of global engagement in recent months to years that is not being perceived positively internationally,” she said.
China benefited as memories of COVID-19 faded. “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,” Silver said.
Xi leads Trump in 22 countries
People in 22 surveyed places rated Xi Jinping more favourably than Donald Trump. These included Canada, Mexico, France, Germany and the UK, although confidence in both leaders remained low.
Pew said China had never held a significant advantage during 20 years of tracking global opinion.
Canada recorded a shift. Positive views of the US fell from 57% in 2023 to 33%, while China’s rating rose from 14% to 44%.
Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods last year and suggested Canada could become “the 51st state.”
France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands shifted towards China. In the UK, the two powers now receive similar ratings. Three years ago, Washington held a 32-point advantage.
US and China respond to findings
White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said, “President Trump has done more for global stability than anyone else,” citing actions that “obliterated Iran’s nuclear facilities” and “eliminated hundreds of narcoterrorists.”
“President Trump is the leader of the free world, and thanks to his bold leadership the United States of America has never been stronger,” Wales said.
China’s embassy in Washington said the poll “demonstrates that China’s governance achievements and development progress are widely recognised.”
Israel led the six countries favouring the US. About eight in 10 Israelis viewed Washington positively, compared with 19% for China. Japan, India, South Korea, the Philippines and Poland completed the group, although their US ratings have declined.
The US still led China on government respect for personal freedoms, but the gap has narrowed. Pew said this was “driven largely by the fact that people in nearly every country surveyed have become less likely to say the US government respects its people’s personal freedoms” since 2021.
