For the first time in almost two decades of Pew Research Center surveys, both Canadians and Mexicans now view China more favorably than their neighbor, the United States.
| Year | Country | U.S. | China |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Canada | 33 | 44 |
| 2025 | Canada | 34 | 34 |
| 2024 | Canada | 54 | 21 |
| 2023 | Canada | 57 | 14 |
| 2022 | Canada | 63 | 21 |
| 2021 | Canada | 61 | 23 |
| 2020 | Canada | 35 | 22 |
| 2019 | Canada | 51 | 28 |
| 2018 | Canada | 40 | 44 |
| 2017 | Canada | 43 | 47 |
| 2016 | Canada | 64 | 45 |
| 2015 | Canada | 68 | 39 |
| 2014 | Canada | ||
| 2013 | Canada | 64 | 43 |
| 2012 | Canada | ||
| 2011 | Canada | ||
| 2010 | Canada | ||
| 2009 | Canada | 68 | 54 |
| 2008 | Canada | ||
| 2007 | Canada | 55 | 51 |
| 2005 | Canada | 59 | 59 |
| 2003 | Canada | 63 | |
| 2002 | Canada | 71 | |
| 2026 | Mexico | 40 | 59 |
| 2025 | Mexico | 29 | 56 |
| 2024 | Mexico | 61 | 56 |
| 2023 | Mexico | 63 | 57 |
| 2022 | Mexico | ||
| 2021 | Mexico | ||
| 2020 | Mexico | ||
| 2019 | Mexico | 35 | 50 |
| 2018 | Mexico | 33 | 46 |
| 2017 | Mexico | 29 | 43 |
| 2016 | Mexico | ||
| 2015 | Mexico | 66 | 48 |
| 2014 | Mexico | 63 | 44 |
| 2013 | Mexico | 66 | 46 |
| 2012 | Mexico | 56 | 40 |
| 2011 | Mexico | 52 | 39 |
| 2010 | Mexico | 55 | 39 |
| 2009 | Mexico | 68 | 39 |
| 2008 | Mexico | 47 | 38 |
| 2007 | Mexico | 56 | 43 |
| 2005 | Mexico | ||
| 2003 | Mexico | ||
| 2002 | Mexico | 64 |
Our spring 2026 global survey marks the first time that Canadians have expressed a significantly more positive view of China than the U.S. Mexicans, by contrast, have viewed China more favorably than the U.S. in several previous Center surveys – all of them conducted during President Donald Trump’s time in the White House.
Canadians and Mexicans also now view Chinese President Xi Jinping more positively than Trump, even as relatively few people in both countries have confidence in the two leaders.
In Canada, 35% of adults have confidence in Xi to do the right thing regarding world affairs, compared with 20% who say the same of Trump. In Mexico, 35% of adults have confidence in Xi and 11% in Trump.
Related: People in Many Countries Now View China More Positively Than the U.S.
In our 2025 survey, Canadians and Mexicans both named the U.S. as their country’s top ally and top threat.
Views by age and ideology
| Country | Topic | 18-34 | 35-49 | 50+ | Youngest-oldest diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | China | 61 | 41 | 39 | 22 |
| Canada | U.S. | 32 | 44 | 27 | 5 |
| Mexico | China | 70 | 61 | 44 | 26 |
| Mexico | U.S. | 52 | 39 | 28 | 24 |
In both Canada and Mexico, adults under 35 have a much more positive view of China than those ages 50 and older, consistent with a pattern we’ve seen in many other countries. For example, 70% of Mexicans under 35 view China favorably, compared with 44% of older Mexicans.
Younger adults in Mexico also view the U.S. more positively than older adults do. But in Canada, there is no significant difference in views between those under 35 and those ages 50 and older.
Despite these differences, both younger and older adults in Canada and Mexico have a more favorable view of China than of the U.S.
Views of the two countries also differ by political ideology. Canadians who place themselves on the ideological left are much more likely than those on the right to have a favorable view of China and an unfavorable view of the United States. Canadians on the left and in the center are more favorable toward China now than in 2025, while views on the right have not changed much.
In Mexico, views of the U.S. and China don’t differ much by ideology.
What’s behind these changing views of China and the U.S.?
| Year | Country | U.S. | China |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Canada | 34 | 13 |
| 2021 | Canada | 60 | 7 |
| 2018 | Canada | 38 | 13 |
| 2017 | Canada | 45 | 12 |
| 2016 | Canada | 57 | 10 |
| 2015 | Canada | 54 | 5 |
| 2014 | Canada | ||
| 2013 | Canada | 75 | 13 |
| 2008 | Canada | ||
| 2026 | Mexico | 20 | 35 |
| 2021 | Mexico | ||
| 2018 | Mexico | 31 | 30 |
| 2017 | Mexico | 32 | 31 |
| 2016 | Mexico | ||
| 2015 | Mexico | 56 | 32 |
| 2014 | Mexico | 38 | 25 |
| 2013 | Mexico | 55 | 34 |
| 2008 | Mexico | 50 | 33 |
In both Canada and Mexico, confidence in Trump is lower than confidence in his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Canadians and Mexicans also now rate the U.S. more negatively on both its domestic and foreign policies. Few in both countries now say that the U.S. and China respect their people’s personal freedoms.
In Mexico, the share of adults who say the U.S. government respects its people’s freedoms has reached an all-time low in our surveys. And for the first time in the nearly two decades we’ve asked this question, Mexicans are now more likely to say this about the Chinese government than the U.S. government.
| Year | U.S. | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 50 | 41 |
| 2026 | 28 | 47 |
Mexicans’ views of the United States’ approach to foreign policy have also worsened significantly over the last several years. While half of Mexican adults said in 2023 that the U.S. contributed to peace and stability around the world, 28% say the same today. Mexicans are now much more likely to say that China contributes to global stability than to say this about the U.S.
Mexicans are also more likely to say that the U.S. interferes in the affairs of other countries than to say this about China (73% vs. 45%). And while Mexicans are divided on whether China takes the interests of countries like Mexico into account when making international policy decisions, around three-in-four say that the U.S. does not take these interests into account.
Mexicans are also much more likely to call China a reliable partner to Mexico than to say this about the U.S. (58% vs. 34%). This is the largest gap on this question across the six Latin American countries we surveyed this year.
Note: Here are the survey questions used for this analysis, along with responses, and the survey methodology.
