In what the Guardian called “a remarkable shift,” a new Pew Research Center survey of 36 countries and territories found that more people now hold favourable views of China than of the United States — a reversal of years of polling. In 25 of the 36 nations surveyed, including US neighbours Canada and Mexico, China and President Xi Jinping are viewed more positively than the US and President Trump.
The poll, conducted between February and May 2026 — a period during which the United States and Israel were engaged in a war against Iran — suggests the shift has been driven in part by deepening tensions between the Trump administration and traditional American allies. The finding marks a significant geopolitical perception change, with potential implications for US soft power and alliance management.
