Full Breakdown
Global Favorability Shift: China Surpasses United States in Pew Survey
7/16/2026, 9:48:59 PM
Core Findings
A Pew Research Center poll of 42,151 adults in 36 countries conducted February 8 – May 13 2026 found that respondents view China more favorably than the United States in 25 countries, while the U.S. retains a positive edge in only six nations. The reversal marks the first time in nearly two decades that China outranks the United States in a majority of surveyed nations.
Background & Context
Pew has tracked international attitudes toward the two superpowers since 2002. Until 2025, the United States consistently led in global favorability. The shift coincides with President Donald Trump’s second term, which began in January 2025, and a marked decline in confidence in former President Joe Biden during his final years in office. Analysts link the change to “the collapse of U.S. soft power under President Trump’s leadership” and to China’s intensified cultural-economic outreach, including Belt-and-Road projects in Africa and zero-tariff policies in Latin America.
Data & Statistics
- Overall median favorability: China 46 % vs. U.S. 36 % (a 10-point gap).
- In Canada, U.S. favorability fell from 57 % (2023) to 33 % (2026) while China rose from 14 % to 44 %.
- In Pakistan, 90 % view China favorably versus 15 % for the U.S.; in Israel, 81 % favor the U.S. versus 19 % for China.
- Confidence that leaders will “do the right thing in world affairs”: Xi Jinping 31 % median vs. Trump 21 % median across the 20 countries with longitudinal data.
- Perceptions of interference: a median 75 % say the U.S. interferes “a great deal or a fair amount” in other nations, compared with 45 % for China.
- Respect for personal freedoms remains higher for the U.S., but the gap narrowed sharply; in Sweden, respect for U.S. freedoms dropped from 61 % (2021) to 27 % (2026).
Why It Matters
The findings signal a weakening of U.S. soft power and a growing perception of China as a reliable partner, especially in middle-income economies across Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific. Shifts in public opinion can affect diplomatic leverage, trade negotiations, and the willingness of foreign governments to align with U.S. initiatives. The narrowing gap on personal-freedom perceptions also suggests a re-evaluation of democratic credentials among global audiences.
Official Statements & Responses
Pew Research Center noted that the “global views of the United States worsened last year as President Donald Trump’s second term began, though most people still had a more positive opinion of the U.S. than China. This year, that is no longer the case.” Low-income-country analysts such as Susannah Patton (Lowy Institute) attribute the swing to “Trump’s aggressive foreign policy, sweeping tariffs and slashing foreign aid.” Jonathan Schulman of Pew called the result “the first time in nearly two decades of such surveys that China is viewed more positively than the U.S.” Laura Silver, associate director of global attitudes research at Pew, linked the trend to “negative perceptions of the Trump administration’s foreign policy.”
Criticism & Opposition
Critics argue that the United States’ “hard-line foreign policy”—including high tariffs, threats to annex allied territories, and the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran—has “eroded the international image of the United States.” Joshua Kurlantzick (Council on Foreign Relations) warned that “the belief that the United States is a trustworthy partner has completely collapsed,” giving China an opening to “aggressively exploit that gap.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
While most outlets report the 25-of-36 country advantage for China, some summaries (e.g., Briefs) cite “nearly half of the 20 nations tracked since 2023” as now favoring China, a slightly different framing of the same data. No source provides longitudinal data beyond 2025 for all 36 nations, leaving a gap in understanding how the trend will evolve post-2026.
Verbatim Quotes
- “confirm the collapse of U.S. soft power under President Trump’s leadership, driven by his administration’s use of force and economic coercion,” — Susannah Patton, Nonresident Fellow, Lowy Institute
- “ Jonathan Schulman, a research associate at the non-partisan group, said it’s the first time in nearly two decades of such surveys that China is viewed more positively than the US.” — Jonathan Schulman, Research Associate, Pew Research Center
- “The past two years have been a period in which the belief that the United States is a trustworthy partner has completely collapsed,” — Joshua Kurlantzick, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
- “While support for Chinese President Xi Jinping is not necessarily strong, many people evaluate that Xi appears better than Trump.” — Pew Research Center report
- “Joshua Kurlantzick, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a nonpartisan think tank, told The Washington Post: "The past two years have been a period in which the belief that the United States is a trustworthy partner has completely collapsed," adding, "China has aggressively exploited that gap.” — Joshua Kurlantzick, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
