For the first time, polls reveal more international support for China than for the United States

PASCUAL SERRANO

China's perception has improved in recent years, while the United States It has worsened, to the point that China is now viewed more positively than the United States in most of the 36 countries surveyed. This is revealed by a Pew Research Center report which compares people's perceptions of the United States and China worldwide. The results are based on surveys of 42.151 adults conducted between February 8 and May 13, 2026.

Until the start of Trump's second term, although the United States' image was deteriorating, most people still had a more positive opinion of the US than of China. However, this year the situation is different. In 25 of the countries surveyed, More people trust Xi Jinping than US President Donald Trump.. The difference is especially large in several countries in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, clearly linked to US support for Israel.

The United States' closest neighbors (Canadians and Mexicans) also view China more positively than the United States. In this case, the erratic tariff policies and the perceived disdain for Latinos may have been a significant factor.

A prime example is Canada. In 2023, a majority of Canadians (57%) held a positive view of the United States, while only 14% held a positive view of China. By 2025, Canadians held equally favorable views of both the United States and China. Currently, more Canadians hold a favorable view of China (44%) than of the United States (33%).

In European countries, neither leader enjoys majority approval, but opinions of Xi Jinping tend to be more favorable than those of Trump. In Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, Xi leads Trump by a double-digit margin. This is somewhat counterintuitive, given that Europe is supposed to be in the same sociological, economic, and military bloc as the United States, and that European authorities, both from the EU and NATO, consistently portray China as a threat and a repressive dictatorship. This, as we can see, does not reflect the perception of its citizens.

In some places, the perception of China is now at an all-time high. historical or near them. For example, 51% of Italians now have a positive view of China, compared to 45% in 2025 and 31% in 2022, representing a 20-percentage-point increase. Furthermore, this is the first time in nearly two decades of surveys that close to half of Italians have a favorable opinion of China.

Similarly, in Spain, 54% of adults now have a positive opinion of China, 17 points higher than last year and the first time that Spaniards' opinion of China has been decidedly positive since 2011. Therefore, Pedro Sánchez's overtures to China, especially in trade terms, are viewed favorably by the population. Let's not forget that Chinese investments in Spain are having a positive impact on its economy.

The United States enjoys a more positive image than China in only six countries, four of them in the Asia-Pacific region: India, Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea. The other two are Israel and Poland.

But the situation is changing there too, at least among China's neighbors. South Koreans now hold similar opinions of both leaders, reflecting a dramatic shift from last year when public opinion was roughly twice as positive in Trump (33%) as in Xi (15%). It's worth remembering that China is North Korea's primary partner, and yet South Koreans value the Chinese leader as much as the leader of their "friendly" country.

A generational shift is also observed; young people in most countries tend to have a more favorable view of China. than older people. This shows that the rejection of China is part of a stereotype that is becoming outdated.

A controversial issue when assessing China is individual freedoms. Like all Western sociological research centers, the Pew Research Center constantly asks about this because they know that it is in the perception of individual freedoms that the West excels in surveys. Western respondents consistently answered that the US government respected the freedoms of its citizens more than the Chinese government.

Few now claim that the governments of the United States and China respect the individual freedoms of their citizens. in the 36 countries surveyed this year. However, today fewer people claim that the The U.S. government respects the individual freedoms of its citizens than a few years ago. The gap is narrowing; now the polling firm acknowledges that “lPeople in almost all the countries surveyed are less likely to say that the United States government respects the personal freedoms of its citizens.”

In Sweden, for example, the percentage of people who say the United States respects individual freedoms has fallen from 61% in 2021 to 27% today. Similar declines of 25 percentage points or more were observed in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Spain.

In many countries, this coincides with a growing percentage of people who say that China respects individual freedoms. For example, 11% of Australians hold this view, an increase of 6 percentage points since 2021.

In some countries, a slightly higher percentage share the view that China currently respects individual freedoms more than the United States. For example, 19% of Spaniards now say that China respects the individual freedoms of its citizens, compared to 10% in 2021.

In Mexico, around a third (35%) say that the Chinese government respects them, while only 20% say the same about the US government.

There is one country where the perception of American freedoms is widespread: Israel. Eighty percent of Israelis say that the United States respects their people's freedoms, perhaps due in part to the geopolitical and military support Israel has historically received from the United States.

Once again, young adults are more likely than older people to say that the Chinese government respects individual freedoms. For example, 30% of British adults under 35 hold this view, compared to 13% of those over 50.

The study also asks about the foreign policy of both governments. They have avoided asking about major powers and powerful countries, focusing instead on [the other government]. middle-income countries located in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

In 17 of these countries, the population expresses greater concern about US foreign policy than about China's. An average of 75% say the United States interferes in the affairs of other countries to a considerable or moderate degree, while 45% say the same about China. In almost all countries surveyed, public opinion considers that the United States interferes more than China.

Similarly, in many of these middle-income countries, people consider China a more reliable partner than the United States and are more likely to say that China contributes to peace and stability around the world.

In South Africa, for example, 72% say that China is a reliable partner for their country, while only 46% say the same about the United States. Furthermore, South Africans are much more likely to say that China (64%) takes into account the interests of countries like theirs when making international policy decisions than they are to say the same about the United States (42%).

On the other hand, the percentage of South Africans who believe that China contributes to peace and stability in the world has increased from 47% in 2023 to 64% in 2026.

Once again, a country stands out from the rest in its support for the United States and rejection of China. Israel, where public opinion on China is... minimum Historically, only 19% are in favor, compared to 33% last year and the relative maximum of 66% reached in 2019.

A study by the Center conducted last year He also revealed that few Israelis believe China can be helpful in achieving a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. But we already know what kind of lasting peace the Israelis want.

It's clear that times are changing. China's economic rise, the end of its isolation, the evolution of prejudices inherited from the Cold War, and, of course, the immeasurable support of Donald Trump have meant that, in addition to overtaking the United States economically and technologically, it has also surpassed the US in image and global public support. And all without needing Hollywood.

Pascual Serrano He is a journalist and writer. His last book is "Forbidden to doubt. The ten weeks in which Ukraine changed the world”