A fresh global poll from the Pew Research Center has dropped quite the bombshell: in 27 out of 36 countries and regions surveyed, people actually like China more than the United States. As noted on July 15, this trend shows China’s global image steadily improving while America’s reputation takes a nosedive.
The survey reached out to 42,151 people worldwide. Last year, among the 20 countries that participated in a similar poll, the US still held a higher median favorability rating than China. But this year’s results tell a different story—more and more people around the world are giving China the thumbs up.
Laura Silver, the Pew Research Center’s associate director, pointed out that support for the US in some countries has already slipped to “near historic lows.”
So what’s driving this shift? According to the analysis, it’s happening right when the Trump administration’s foreign and trade policies are stirring up global controversy—think threatening to annex Greenland and Canada, staying tangled in the Iran conflict, slapping tariffs on most of the world’s economies, and drastically cutting foreign aid. All of this has seriously dented America’s image abroad.
On the flip side, China’s stock is on the rise. Silver noted that China’s global reputation has been bouncing back in recent years. She believes that the changing international political landscape is simultaneously reshaping how people see both the US and China.
The biggest surprises come from some of America’s traditional allies. The survey shows that this year, folks in the UK, Canada, France, and Germany now favor China over the US. Take the UK: last year, 50% had a positive view of the US compared to 39% for China. This year, China jumped to 46% while the US dropped to 41%—a complete reversal.
But it’s not all bad news for the US. The Washington Post notes that America still holds a solid lead among its Asia-Pacific allies. In Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and India, people still prefer the US. Meanwhile, in Pakistan and several African nations, China enjoys much higher support. For instance, a whopping 90% of Pakistani respondents view China positively, while only 15% feel the same about the US.
The article highlights that China has been actively pushing its Belt and Road Initiative, expanding infrastructure investments and diplomatic cooperation, which has boosted its influence in many developing countries.
Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, thinks that over the past two years, America’s image as a “reliable partner” has taken a serious hit, and China has cleverly stepped up to fill the gap and expand its global reach.