China Overtakes U.S. in 25 of 36 Countries in Pew Poll as Trump Ratings Slide
Updated
Updated · WMUR Manchester · Jul 16
China Overtakes U.S. in 25 of 36 Countries in Pew Poll as Trump Ratings Slide
3 articles · Updated · WMUR Manchester · Jul 16
Summary
25 of 36 countries surveyed now view China more favorably than the U.S., the first time in roughly 20 years of Pew tracking that Beijing has come out ahead.
22 of 36 countries also rate Xi Jinping above Donald Trump, with Pew linking the shift to strains with U.S. allies and backlash over Washington's role in Iran and Gaza.
Canada showed one of the sharpest reversals: favorable views of the U.S. fell to 33% from 57% in 2023, while views of China rose to 44% from 14%.
Only six countries still prefer the U.S. to China—led by Israel at about 80% favorable to 19% for China—though even in those countries U.S. ratings have weakened.
42,000-plus respondents were surveyed from February to May, and Pew said the narrowing U.S.-China gap on personal freedoms reflects declining confidence that the U.S. respects its own citizens' freedoms.
As America's global favorability plummets, are its traditional allies now hedging their bets by embracing China?
Has the US strategy of tariffs and tech competition backfired, pushing nations and allies closer to Beijing?
Is China's economic and tech diplomacy in the Global South building a new, non-Western world order?
Global Leadership in Crisis: 2025 Gallup Data Shows Unprecedented Disapproval of US and China
Overview
The 2025 Global Leadership Report reveals a historic shift in how the world views major powers. Nearly half of all countries surveyed gave negative approval ratings to both the United States and China, marking the highest level of global negativity in two decades. This reflects a significant re-evaluation of global leadership and growing polarization, as opinions about these powers become more defined. The return of Trump to the White House influenced some exceptions, such as a sharp rise in U.S. approval in Israel. Overall, the world is moving toward a more fragmented and multipolar order, with traditional alliances under strain.