WorldGlobal Favorability Toward China Surpasses the US for the First Time in 20 Years

A 2026 survey by the US think tank Pew Research Center found that China was viewed more favorably than the United States in 25 of the 36 countries surveyed. It marks the first reversal of this kind since Pew began conducting comparable research in 2005. Scholars attributed the shift partly to the Trump administration’s foreign and trade policies, which they said weakened America’s image. China’s work in infrastructure, technology and economic and trade cooperation has meanwhile increased its appeal in some countries. Japan, South Korea and the Philippines still view China negatively, citing geopolitical factors.