A major shift in global opinion has occurred. For the first time, China is viewed more favorably than the United States in a majority of countries surveyed.
According to the Pew Research Center, people in 25 of 36 countries now hold more positive views of China than the US. This reversal, documented between February and May, marks the first time in two decades of tracking that China has led in global favorability.
The shift extends to leadership. In 22 countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping is viewed more favorably than US President Donald Trump. This includes key US allies like Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
Researchers link the change to several factors. The fading memory of the COVID-19 pandemic removed a previous negative for China. Simultaneously, global views of the US have soured, driven by perceptions of its handling of international conflicts and tensions with allies.
Specific US policies have contributed to this decline. The study notes negative reactions to President Trump's past trade actions against Canada, statements about Greenland, and the US role in conflicts involving Israel.
The erosion is stark in traditional allied nations. In Canada, positive views of the US plummeted from 57% in 2023 to just 33% now. In the same period, favorable opinions of China there more than tripled, rising from 14% to 44%.
Only six countries still view the US more favorably: Israel, Japan, India, South Korea, the Philippines, and Poland. Even in these nations, US favorability has declined in recent years.
The US still leads on the perception of respecting personal freedoms, but that advantage is narrowing. This is largely because views of US respect for freedoms have fallen in nearly every country since 2021.
The survey polled over 42,000 people across 35 countries plus the West Bank and east Jerusalem.