For the first time in roughly two decades of tracking by the Pew Research Center, China is viewed more favourably than the United States across a majority of surveyed countries. The 2026 survey, conducted between February and May among 42,151 adults in 36 countries and territories, finds that in 25 of them, more respondents hold a positive view of China than of the US. Only six countries—India, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Poland and Israel—still favour the US more. The median favourable rating for China across 20 consistently tracked nations now stands at 46 per cent, compared with 36 per cent for the US, a reversal from 2023 when the US held a 54-to-19-point advantage.

Pew researchers attribute the shift to two concurrent trends: a steady recovery in China’s image as the Covid-19 pandemic recedes, and a sharp decline in global confidence in Washington. Laura Silver, associate director of global attitudes research at Pew, told the Associated Press that the survey period coincided with the US and Israel launching a war against Iran, and that respondents linked the conflict to a perception that the US “is just not contributing to peace and stability.” The White House, through spokesperson Olivia Wales, countered that President Donald Trump had “done more for global stability than anyone else,” citing the destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities and the elimination of “narcoterrorists.” The Chinese embassy in Washington stated that the findings demonstrate “China’s governance achievements and development progress are widely recognised.”

The erosion of US favourability is most pronounced among traditional allies. In Canada, positive views of the US fell from 57 per cent in 2023 to 33 per cent in 2026, while favourable opinions of China rose from 14 to 44 per cent over the same period. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, visiting Beijing in January, described relations with China as “more predictable” than those with Washington, which has imposed tariffs and repeatedly raised the prospect of annexation. Major European powers—France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden—all now register higher favourability for China than for the US. In the United Kingdom, the two countries are viewed similarly. Across middle-income countries in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, a median of 75 per cent of respondents say the US interferes in other countries’ affairs, compared with 45 per cent who say the same of China. China is also more likely to be described as a reliable partner and a contributor to global peace and stability.

Confidence in both leaders remains low overall, but Chinese President Xi Jinping is viewed more favourably than Trump in 22 of the 36 countries, including Canada, Mexico, France, Germany and the UK. The survey also records a narrowing gap on respect for personal freedoms: 34 per cent of Canadians now believe the US government respects individual liberties, down from 60 per cent in 2021, while the figure for China stands at 13 per cent. Pew notes that the shift is not uniform; in China’s immediate neighbourhood, US allies such as Japan, South Korea and the Philippines retain more positive views of Washington. The data, released on 15 July, marks the first time since Pew began tracking global attitudes in 2002 that China has been assessed more positively than the US in so many countries. No further survey waves have been announced.