Pew Survey Reveals Global Favorability Shift Toward China Over the U.S. in 2026
A Pew Research Center survey conducted between February and May 2026 found that in 25 out of 36 countries, more people hold favorable views of China than the United States. The shift is attributed to improved perceptions of China and declining views of the U.S., influenced by tensions between the Trump administration and U.S. allies. This marks a significant reversal of long-standing global sentiment.
Where Sources Diverge
The npr article mentions the change is driven by improved perceptions of China and declining views of the United States, while the scmp article adds that China's global image rebounded from pandemic-era lows.
The change is driven by improved perceptions of China and declining views of the United States.
China’s global image has rebounded from its pandemic-era lows, with international views of both the country and President Xi Jinping improving as confidence in the United States has declined.
The france24 article states that views were more favorable of Chinese leader Xi Jinping than US President Donald Trump in 22 of the countries and territories, while the guardian article mentions the same figure.
Views were also more favourable of Chinese leader Xi Jinping than US President Donald Trump in 22 of the countries and territories.
More people have favourable views of China than the US in 25 out of the 36 countries and territories that were surveyed, including Canada and Mexico.
The times-of-india article mentions that personal freedoms remain a strength for the US, while the scmp article does not address this point.
While personal freedoms remain a strength for the US, this advantage is slowly diminishing as China is perceived to engage less in interventionist policies worldwide.
China’s global image has rebounded from its pandemic-era lows, with international views of both the country and President Xi Jinping improving as confidence in the United States has declined.
Timelines
Sources
An annual survey from the Pew Research Center found that more countries felt positively about China than America.
Recent global surveys reveal that China's image is increasingly favorable compared to that of the United States. Under Xi Jinping's leadership, he commands greater trust internationally than Donald Trump does. While personal freedoms remain a strength for the US, this advantage is slowly diminishing as China is perceived to engage less in interventionist policies worldwide. These trends underscore a noteworthy shift in international perceptions.
In only six countries do people still see the US more positively than China, according to the findings released by Pew Research Center.
Global views appear to have flipped in Beijing’s favour, driven in part by tensions between the Trump administration and US allies, a new Pew survey shows The world has largely viewed the US more favourably than China for years, but those opinions have flipped in Beijing’s favour this year, according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center, a remarkable shift driven in part by tensions between the Trump administration and US allies. More people have favourable views of China than the US in 25 out of the 36 countries and territories that were surveyed, including Canada and Mexico. The poll was conducted from February to May, a period when the United States and Israel were engaged in a war against Iran. Continue reading...
More people have favourable views of China than the United States in 25 out of 36 countries and territories surveyed, including Canada and Mexico, according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center released on Wednesday. Views were also more favourable of Chinese leader Xi Jinping than US President Donald Trump in 22 of the countries and territories.
The change is driven by improved perceptions of China and declining views of the United States.
There is more confidence in Xi Jinping than Donald Trump, the US think tank's survey indicates.
China’s global image has rebounded from its pandemic-era lows, with international views of both the country and President Xi Jinping improving as confidence in the United States has declined, according to a new Pew Research Centre survey. The survey, released on Wednesday, polled more than 45,000 people across 37 countries spanning every region of the world, including many advanced economies and emerging markets, such as Argentina, Australia, France, Ghana, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Turkey...