A new report from the Pew Research Center released Wednesday indicates that global sentiment has shifted in favor of China over the United States. Following a survey of more than 42,000 people across 35 countries and two territories, researchers found that more respondents hold favorable views of China than the U.S. in 25 of the surveyed locations. This marks the first time in 20 years of Pew's tracking that China's favorability has significantly surpassed that of the U.S.
The study, conducted between February and May 2026, found that U.S. favorability dropped notably in several allied nations. In Canada, positive views of the U.S. fell from 57% in 2023 to 33%, while favorable opinions of China rose to 44%. Major European nations including France, Germany, and the U.K. also showed more positive or equal sentiment toward China compared to the U.S. Similarly, 22 of the 36 regions surveyed expressed more confidence in Chinese leader Xi Jinping than in U.S. President Donald Trump, though confidence in both leaders remained low overall.
Researchers attributed the shift to several geopolitical factors, including the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran and the U.S. handling of the conflict in Gaza. Laura Silver, associate director of Pew's Global Attitudes Research, noted that recent U.S. actions, such as the military raid in Venezuela and trade tensions with allies, have negatively impacted international perceptions of Us. responsibility and stability.
Despite the shift in favorability, the U.S. continues to lead China regarding perceptions of respect for personal freedoms. However, Pew reports that this gap has narrowed since 2021 as respondents in nearly every country surveyed were less likely to say the U.S. government respects its citizens' personal freedoms. The U.S. maintained higher favorability than China in only six of the surveyed nations: Israel, Japan, India, South Korea, the Philippines, and Poland.