A Pew Research Center survey of 42,151 adults across 36 countries conducted between February and May 2026 found that in 25 nations, respondents held more positive views of China than of the United States. This represents the first time since the organization began tracking global attitudes toward superpowers in 2002 that such a result has been recorded in so many countries.

In Canada, favorable views of the United States dropped from 57 percent to 33 percent while positive opinions of China rose from 14 percent to 44 percent. Similar reversals occurred in major European nations including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Countries showing the largest shifts toward more favorable views of China included Spain, Indonesia, Italy, Greece, and Canada. Only six countries maintained more favorable opinions of the United States: Poland, the Philippines, South Korea, India, Japan, and Israel.

Confidence ratings for Chinese leader Xi Jinping exceeded those of US President Donald Trump in 22 surveyed locations, including Canada, Mexico, and major European powers. Xi led Trump by double digits in Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In countries bordering China such as India, Japan, and the Philippines, Trump maintained higher ratings than Xi. Both leaders received generally low international ratings, with Xi's highest confidence rating at 83 percent in Pakistan and Trump's at 68 percent in the Philippines.

The United States maintained an advantage in perceptions of government respect for personal freedoms, though the gap has narrowed considerably. Since 2021, the percentage of people saying the US respects personal freedoms declined significantly in most surveyed countries, with drops of 25 percentage points or more in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Spain. In Australia, views of China's respect for personal freedoms increased from 5 percent to 11 percent.

When examining foreign policy perceptions, a median of 75 percent of respondents in middle-income countries across Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region said the United States interferes in other countries' affairs, compared to 45 percent who said the same of China. In South Africa, 72 percent described China as a reliable partner versus 46 percent for the United States. In Pakistan, 84 percent saw China as reliable compared to 36 percent for the US, while in the Philippines, 81 percent viewed the US as reliable compared to 42 percent for China.

Researchers noted that middle-income countries generally held positive views of China, while wealthier nations tended to view China more negatively, with Singapore being a notable exception. The Chinese embassy in Washington stated the poll demonstrates recognition of China's governance achievements and development progress. Researchers also attributed the shift partly to concerns about US contributions to global peace and stability, noting that the volatility of US policy, including the use of force and resulting economic effects, has created uncertainty among many nations. At the same time, China appears to many as a more predictable entity, though questions remain about its treatment of minorities and its more assertive international stance under Xi's leadership.

Original Sources/Tags: pewresearch.org, nytimes.com, theguardian.com, bbc.com, pewresearch.org, thehill.com, bloomberg.com, rt.com, (canada), (china), (germany), (greece), (italy), (netherlands), (spain), (sweden), (india), (japan), (philippines), (australia), (pakistan), (france)

This article offers no actionable information for ordinary readers. It reports international polling data without providing steps, resources, or tools that individuals can realistically use in their daily lives. While the survey findings may be newsworthy, they remain isolated statistics that do not translate into practical guidance for readers seeking to understand global opinion trends, evaluate international relationships, or make informed decisions about their own civic engagement.

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The text uses loaded language to push importance. The words "significant shift" make readers think this change matters a lot. This helps China look better by making the shift seem very important. The wording pushes feelings instead of just showing facts. The setup makes readers believe something big happened without proof.

The text hides who held opinions with passive voice. The words "opinions were roughly equal" do not say who had these opinions. This makes the views seem like they just happened on their own. The wording hides the people behind the numbers. This helps make the shift seem natural instead of showing real people changed their minds.

The text frames the US decline with negative words. The phrase "worsening views of the US" makes the drop sound bad. This pushes readers to see the US as the problem. The wording hides that people might have real reasons for their views. The setup makes readers believe the US caused its own problems.

The text frames China's rise with positive words. The words "improving perceptions of China" make the gain sound good. This pushes readers to see China as doing something right. The wording hides that people might have concerns about China. The setup makes readers believe China earned its better ratings fairly.

The text uses soft language to hide criticism of China's leader. The words "generally low ratings" make both leaders seem equally bad. This helps Xi by making Trump look just as bad. The wording hides that Xi might have real problems. The setup makes readers believe the leaders are similar when they might not be.

The text picks facts to help one side of the story. The words "countries bordering China such as India, Japan, and the Philippines" group these nations together. This suggests geography explains their views. The wording hides that these countries might have other real reasons to view China poorly. The setup makes readers believe location matters more than real policy concerns.

The text expresses several clear emotions that shape how readers interpret the international opinion shift. The opening phrase "significant shift" carries excitement and importance, making readers feel this change matters greatly. This emotion appears immediately and sets an urgent tone that something major has occurred. The word "dramatic" when describing Canada's change intensifies this feeling, suggesting the shift is not just notable but striking and worthy of attention. These emotions serve to make readers feel they are witnessing something historically important rather than routine polling data.

Sadness and concern emerge through phrases describing decline. "Declining views of the US" and "declined significantly" express loss and deterioration, making readers feel worried about America's reputation. The specific mention of "drops of 25 percentage points or more" amplifies this sadness by emphasizing how severe the decline has been. The emotion of disappointment appears in "generally low ratings" for both leaders, suggesting readers should feel let down by political leadership globally. However, this disappointment is softened when comparing the leaders, as the text notes Xi led Trump by double digits in European nations, creating a sense of relief or vindication for China while deepening disappointment for the US.

Pride and confidence surface when describing China's gains. "Improving perceptions of China" carries positive emotion, making readers feel China is succeeding internationally. The phrase "reliable partner" expresses trust and dependability, creating feelings of security and optimism about China's global role. When the text states "72 percent of South Africans describing China as reliable versus 46 percent for the US," it evokes pride in China's performance while simultaneously generating concern or shame about America's standing. The comparison between countries serves to make readers feel China is more trustworthy and stable than the US.

Fear and skepticism appear in the description of US foreign policy. "75 percent of respondents said the US interferes in other countries' affairs" carries negative emotion, making readers feel the US acts wrongly on the world stage. This creates suspicion and distrust toward American actions. The contrast with only "45 percent who said the same of China" intensifies this fear-based emotion by suggesting China is less threatening internationally. These emotions serve to make readers question US motives and feel concerned about American global behavior.

The emotions work together to guide reader reaction toward sympathy for China and concern about the US. The excitement around the "significant shift" combined with pride in China's "improving perceptions" builds positive feelings toward China. Meanwhile, sadness about US "declining views" and fear about American "interference" generate negative feelings toward the United States. This emotional contrast makes readers more likely to view China favorably and worry about America's international standing. The text uses these emotions to change opinions by making China's rise feel natural and deserved while making US decline feel concerning and problematic.

The writer persuades through emotional word choices that emphasize extremes and contrasts. The repeated use of "significant," "dramatic," and "significant" decline makes changes seem more extreme than neutral language would suggest. Comparisons between countries and leaders amplify emotional impact by constantly showing China ahead of or equal to the US. The phrase "particularly dramatic" focuses attention on Canada specifically, making that example more emotionally powerful than others. By emphasizing drops of "25 percentage points or more," the writer makes declines feel more alarming. These tools steer readers toward seeing the opinion shift as a major realignment that favors China while raising concerns about US leadership and global relationships.