China has overtaken the United States in global favorability for the first time in nearly two decades of Pew Research Center polling, according to a new report spanning six continents.

The survey, conducted across 35 countries as well as the West Bank and East Jerusalem, found that people in 25 of the 36 surveyed locations expressed a more favorable view of China than of the United States. By comparison, the US ranked ahead in only six locations. The findings also show that several traditional US allies—including Canada, Mexico, France, Germany and the United Kingdom—now hold a more positive view of China than of the United States.

The study found that Chinese President Xi Jinping enjoys higher levels of public confidence than US President Donald Trump in 22 of the 36 surveyed locations. Laura Silver, associate director of Pew's Global Attitudes Research, said the results represent a notable turning point in the survey's history.

Silver said recent US foreign policy decisions—including military operations against Iran, Washington's handling of the Gaza war, tensions with allies and Trump's remarks about Greenland—have contributed to the decline in America's international standing.

 Among the countries surveyed, Canada registered one of the largest changes in public opinion. Favorable views of the United States dropped from 57% in 2023 to 33%, while positive perceptions of China climbed from 14% to 44%. Similar changes were observed across several European countries, including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands. In the United Kingdom, the previous gap in favor of the United States has effectively disappeared.

Respondents nevertheless continued to rate the United States more positively than China on respect for individual freedoms, although Pew said that gap has narrowed in recent years. (ILKHA)