--- title: "People in Many Countries Now View China More Positively Than the U.S." description: "Views of China have improved recently while views of the U.S. have worsened, to the point where China is now seen more positively than the U.S. in most countries surveyed." date: "2026-07-15" authors: - name: "Jonathan Schulman" job_title: "Research Associate" link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/jonathan-schulman/" - name: "Laura Silver" job_title: "Associate Director, Global Attitudes Research" link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/laura-silver/" - name: "Laura Clancy" job_title: "Research Analyst" link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/laura-clancy/" - name: "William Miner" job_title: "Research Analyst" link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/william-miner/" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/07/15/people-in-many-countries-now-view-china-more-positively-than-the-u-s/" categories: - "China Global Image" - "Global Balance of Power" --- # People in Many Countries Now View China More Positively Than the U.S. ## Table of Contents 1. [People in Many Countries Now View China More Positively Than the U.S.](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/07/15/people-in-many-countries-now-view-china-more-positively-than-the-u-s/markdown) - [Views of the U.S. and China](#views-of-the-u-s-and-china) - [Confidence in Trump and Xi](#confidence-in-trump-and-xi) - [More say the U.S. respects the freedoms of its people than China, but that gap is shrinking](#more-say-the-u-s-respects-the-freedoms-of-its-people-than-china-but-that-gap-is-shrinking) - [Views on how Chinese and U.S. foreign policy affect the world](#views-on-how-chinese-and-u-s-foreign-policy-affect-the-world) 2. [How do views of the U.S. and China compare in Latin America?](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/07/15/how-do-views-of-the-u-s-and-china-compare-in-latin-america/markdown) 3. [Acknowledgments](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/07/15/acknowledgments-balance-china/markdown) 4. [Methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/07/15/methodology-balance-china/markdown) ## More also have confidence in Xi than Trump, according to a survey in three dozen countries ![](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/07/PG_26.07.15_ChinaComparative_featured@2x.png?w=640) **About this research** This Pew Research Center report looks at how views of the U.S. and China compare around the world, including ratings of their presidents, their respect for personal freedoms, and their approaches to foreign policy. **Why did we do this?** Pew Research Center does research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. This project brings together two topics we regularly study: [international views of the U.S.](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/06/23/trump-gets-negative-reviews-internationally-as-fewer-say-u-s-is-a-reliable-partner/) and [international views of China](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/07/15/views-of-china-and-xi-are-improving-globally/). [Learn more about Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org/about/) and our [international surveys](https://www.pewresearch.org/international-surveys/). **How did we do this?** We surveyed 42,151 people across 36 countries: Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, the U.K., and the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Interviews were conducted from February 8 to May 13, 2026. We designed the surveys so we could talk about the views of the adult population in each country. Here are the [survey questions](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/07/pg_2026.06.15_china-balance-power_topline.pdf) used for this report, along with responses, and the [survey methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/07/15/methodology-balance-china/).[] Global views of the United States [worsened last year](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/15/views-of-the-us-have-worsened-while-opinions-of-china-have-improved-in-many-surveyed-countries/) as President Donald Trump’s second term began, though most people still had a more positive opinion of the U.S. than China. This year, that is no longer the case. ## More international public opinion on the U.S. and China This report compares how people around the world see the U.S. and China. For a more detailed look at the global image of each country, read our separately published reports: - “[Trump Gets Negative Reviews Internationally as Fewer Say U.S. Is a Reliable Partner](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/06/23/trump-gets-negative-reviews-internationally-as-fewer-say-u-s-is-a-reliable-partner/)” - “[Views of China and Xi Are Improving Globally](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/07/15/views-of-china-and-xi-are-improving-globally/)” [![A set of line charts showing that Views of China have turned more positive – and views of the U.S. more negative – across 20 countries](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/07/pg_2026.07.15_china-balance-power_0_01.png?w=420){.alignright width=280}](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=337681) [Views of China](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/07/15/views-of-china-and-xi-are-improving-globally/) have improved in recent years while [opinions of the U.S.](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/06/23/trump-gets-negative-reviews-internationally-as-fewer-say-u-s-is-a-reliable-partner/) have worsened, to the point where **China is now seen more positively than the U.S. in most of 36 countries surveyed.** Confidence in these countries’ respective leaders to do the right thing regarding world affairs has followed a similar pattern. In the latter half of Joe Biden’s presidency, confidence in him was higher than confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping across most countries surveyed, though Biden’s rating declined in many places from 2023 to 2024. During the first two years of Trump’s second term, ratings of the U.S. president worsened significantly. While many people still lack confidence in Xi, positive views of him have become more widespread, **and more overall now say they have confidence in Xi than in Trump.** [![A bar chart showing that More say the U.S. respects the freedoms of its people than China](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/07/pg_2026.07.15_china-balance-power_0_02.png?w=310){.alignright width=280}](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=337688) One area where the U.S. still gets higher ratings than China has to do with personal freedoms: **More say the U.S. government respects the personal freedoms of its people than say the same of the Chinese government.** Still, the gap has been narrowing – driven by large drops in the shares saying the U.S. government respects personal freedoms. As China and the U.S. compete for influence around the world, we also examined how people in six Latin American countries see their foreign policy roles. People in these nations previously tended to see the U.S. as a more reliable partner than China, but several publics are now split. *For more, read “[How do views of the U.S. and China compare in Latin America?](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/07/15/how-do-views-of-the-u-s-and-china-compare-in-latin-america/) ”* In the sections below, we compare international public opinion on the U.S. and China, their leaders, their foreign policy roles and more. Results are based on surveys of 42,151 adults conducted Feb. 8-May 13, 2026. - [Views of the U.S. and China](#views-of-the-u-s-and-china) - [Views of Trump and Xi](#confidence-in-trump-and-xi) - [Do the U.S. and Chinese governments respect the personal freedoms of their people?](#more-say-the-u-s-respects-the-freedoms-of-its-people-than-china-but-that-gap-is-shrinking) - [How people in middle-income countries view U.S. and Chinese roles in foreign policy](#views-on-how-chinese-and-u-s-foreign-policy-affect-the-world) ### Views of the U.S. and China In most of the 36 countries surveyed, more people have a favorable view of China than of the U.S. The gap is especially large in several Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern countries. [![A dot plot showing How people in 36 countries view the U.S. and China](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/07/pg_2026.07.15_china-balance-power_0_03.png?w=420){.aligncenter width=400}](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=337687) Americans’ nearest neighbors – Canadians and Mexicans – also view China more positively than the U.S. The U.S. is viewed more positively than China in just six countries, including four in the Asia-Pacific region: India, Japan, the Philippines and South Korea. ***Related:** [China’s image in the Asia-Pacific region](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/07/15/chinas-image-in-the-asia-pacific-region/)* #### Views of the U.S. and China over time China being assessed more positively than the U.S. is a relatively recent shift in most countries surveyed. This reversal in favorability is often driven by shifting views of *both* superpowers: improving views of China coupled with worsening views of the U.S. [![A set of line charts showing that In many countries, the U.S.-China favorability gap has reversed in recent years](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/07/pg_2026.07.15_china-balance-power_0_04.png?w=420){.aligncenter width=400}](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=337686) For example, a majority of Canadians (57%) had a positive view of the U.S. in 2023, while 14% viewed China positively. In 2025, Canadians were equally favorable toward the U.S. and China. Now, more Canadians have a favorable view of China (44%) than the U.S. (33%). We see the same pattern in a number of other countries. ### Confidence in Trump and Xi Confidence in both Trump and Xi is generally low. But people in many of the 36 countries surveyed view Xi more favorably. [![A dot plot showing How people in 36 countries view Trump and Xi](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/07/pg_2026.07.15_china-balance-power_0_05.png?w=420){.aligncenter width=400}](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=337685) In European countries, for example, neither leader gets a majority-positive rating, but views of Xi tend to be more favorable than views of Trump. In Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, Xi leads Trump by double digits, though his highest favorability rating is just 37%, from the U.K. In several nations that neighbor China – India, the Philippines and Japan – Trump receives higher ratings than Xi. While South Koreans now view the two leaders similarly, this reflects a dramatic shift from last year, when that public was around twice as confident in Trump (33%) as in Xi (15%). ### More say the U.S. respects the freedoms of its people than China, but that gap is shrinking For more than a decade, we have asked people if they think the U.S. and Chinese governments respect the personal freedoms of their people. Our data has consistently shown a gap, with people more likely to say the U.S. government respects its people’s freedoms than to say the same of the Chinese government. [![A set of line charts showing that Steep drops in shares saying the U.S. government respects personal freedoms, leaving ratings more similar to China](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/07/pg_2026.07.15_china-balance-power_0_06.png?w=420){.alignright width=280}](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=337684) But this gap is shrinking, driven largely by the fact that **people in nearly every country surveyed have become less likely to say the U.S. government respects its people’s personal freedoms** since we last asked this question in 2021. In Sweden, for example, the percentage saying the U.S. respects personal freedoms has declined from 61% in 2021 to 27% today. There were similar drops of 25 percentage points or more in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea and Spain. In many countries, this pairs with an increasing share who say China respects personal freedoms. For example, 11% of Australians hold this view, up 6 percentage points from 2021. As a result, **few now say that the U.S. and Chinese governments respect the personal freedoms of their people** across the 36 countries surveyed this year. This is especially true in Europe and Latin America. In Mexico, for example, around a third (35%) say the Chinese government respects its people’s personal freedoms, while 20% say the same about the U.S. government. *For more on how these views have changed in Latin America, see [“How do views of the U.S. and China compare in Latin America?”](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/07/15/how-do-views-of-the-u-s-and-china-compare-in-latin-america/)* [![A chart showing that Few say the U.S. and Chinese governments respect personal freedoms](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/07/pg_2026.07.15_china-balance-power_0_07.png?w=640)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=337683) A few countries stand out for the difference they perceive between the U.S. and Chinese governments: - 80% of Israelis say the U.S. respects the freedoms of its people, while just 15% say the same of China. Japan shows another sizable difference (61% vs. 6%). - The gap is fairly large in the other direction in places including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem, where more say China respects personal freedoms than the U.S. ### Views on how Chinese and U.S. foreign policy affect the world Both Chinese and U.S. foreign policy have focused significantly on middle-income countries in recent years. China, for example, has close [economic and security ties](https://www.cfr.org/backgrounders/china-influence-latin-america-argentina-brazil-venezuela-security-energy-bri) with Brazil and Peru, among other countries. And the [2025 U.S. National Security Strategy](https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf) stressed the importance of countering China’s significant exports to Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. [![A set of bar charts showing that People in 17 middle-income countries tend to say the U.S. interferes more and China is a more reliable partner](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/07/pg_2026.07.15_china-balance-power_0_08.png?w=310){.alignright width=280}](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=337682) Given this dynamic, we asked additional questions about perceptions of American and Chinese foreign policy in the [middle-income countries](https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/opendata/understanding-country-income--world-bank-group-income-classifica) we surveyed – located across Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific. ***Related:** [How do views of China differ across high- and middle-income countries?](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/07/15/how-do-views-of-china-differ-across-high-and-middle-income-countries/)* People in 17 middle-income countries raise more concerns about the United States’ foreign policy than China’s. A median of 75% say that the U.S. interferes in the affairs of other countries a great deal or a fair amount, while 45% say the same of China. ****In nearly every country surveyed, more people see the U.S. as an interferer than China.**** Similarly, people in many of these middle-income countries see China as a more reliable partner than the U.S. and are more likely to say China contributes to peace and stability around the world. In South Africa, for example, 72% say China is a reliable partner to their country, while 46% say the same of the U.S. And South Africans are much more likely to say China (64%) accounts for the interests of countries like their own in making international policy decisions than they are to say the same of the U.S. (42%). Meanwhile, the share of South Africans saying China contributes to peace and stability around the world has increased from 47% in 2023 to 64% in 2026. In some countries, views of China’s role in the world have not changed significantly over the last several years. But in Indonesia, the shares saying that the U.S. and China contribute to global peace and stability have *both* decreased since we last asked. In several Latin American countries – Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Peru – similar shares describe the U.S. and China as reliable partners. The largest differences in perception of the two countries, in either direction, tend to be in the Asia-Pacific region. In Pakistan, for example, people are much more likely to say China is a reliable partner than the U.S. (84% vs. 36%). And in the Philippines, many more see the U.S. as a reliable partner than China (81% vs. 42%). --- **Next:** [How do views of the U.S. and China compare in Latin America?](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/07/15/how-do-views-of-the-u-s-and-china-compare-in-latin-america.md)