China is now viewed more positively than the US in many countries around the world, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center. It is the first time the organisation has recorded such results. The findings from the non-partisan, US-based think tank indicate that favourable views of China have reached record highs in many countries, while perceptions of the United States have worsened. In general, respondents expressed low confidence in both US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, though Xi scored higher than Trump. While the US was still seen to respect personal freedoms more than China, China was seen to interfere in other countries' affairs less than the US. Pew polled more than 42,000 people in 36 countries between February and May. Respondents were asked if they had a very favourable, somewhat favourable, somewhat unfavourable, or very unfavourable opinion of each superpower. The research centre found that in 25 of the 36 countries, there were more people who had favourable views of China than of the US.
Published: July 15, 2026 5:02 pm
Source: BBC — Read original