China is viewed more favourably than the United States in a majority of countries surveyed for the first time since the Pew Research Center began tracking global attitudes around two decades ago.
According to the latest survey, respondents in 25 of the 36 countries and territories surveyed expressed a more favourable view of China than the United States. The findings mark a notable shift in international public opinion after years in which the US generally enjoyed stronger global support.
The survey was conducted between February and May, during a period that included heightened tensions involving the United States and Israel’s military actions against Iran.
Shift reflects changing global perceptions
The findings, released on Wednesday, show that the United States is viewed more positively than China in only six of the surveyed countries and territories.
The survey also found that respondents in 22 of the 36 countries and territories held more favourable views of Chinese President Xi Jinping than US President Donald Trump.
This trend extended to Canada, Mexico and several major European countries, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom. However, Pew noted that confidence in both leaders remained relatively low across many of the surveyed nations.
First such result in two decades
Laura Silver, associate director of Pew’s Global Attitudes Research and one of the study’s researchers, said this is the first time China has recorded higher overall favourability than the United States since the organisation began monitoring international public opinion.
She noted that perceptions of Beijing and Washington had been close at various points over the past two decades, but China had never previously achieved a clear lead over the US.
Silver said the latest shift comes as the COVID-19 pandemic has become a less significant issue internationally, while global perceptions of the United States have become less favourable.
