- A Pew Research Center study found that for the first time since 2002, more people in many countries view China favorably than the US, with favorable views of China reaching record highs and perceptions of the US worsening.
- The survey, covering over 42,000 respondents in 36 countries, showed that 25 countries had more favorable views of China than the US, with significant shifts in countries like Spain, Indonesia, Italy, Greece, and Canada; only six staunch US allies favored the US more.
- Confidence in both US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping was generally low, though Xi scored higher than Trump in many countries; extreme opinions were more common for Trump, while views on Xi were less strong.
- Middle-income countries tended to have more positive views of China, while wealthier countries were more negative, with exceptions like Singapore; the most positive and negative views came from Asia-Pacific nations, such as Pakistan (90% favorable) and Japan (11% favorable).
- While the US was still seen as respecting personal freedoms more than China, the gap narrowed; perceptions of US interference in other countries' affairs (75% median) were higher than for China (45% median).
- Experts attribute the shift to US policy volatility and economic harm under Trump, while China is seen as more predictable and has actively burnished its image, especially in developing countries, though concerns remain about Xi's authoritarian leadership and treatment of minorities.