- By Vaidika Thapa
- Thu, 16 Jul 2026 05:43 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- China's global image now more favorable than US in 25 countries.
- Pew survey shows increased confidence in Xi Jinping over Trump.
- Pakistan strongly supports Xi; India favors Trump in leadership.
A new survey by the Pew Research Center has found that China’s global image has improved significantly. Many countries now view China more positively than the United States. The survey, conducted among 42,151 adults across 36 countries and territories between February 8 and May 13, 2026, shows that favourable views of China have increased, while opinions about the US have declined.
China Gets More Positive Views Than US
According to the survey, the median favourability rating for China has risen from 32 per cent to 46 per cent, while the rating for the US has dropped from 58 per cent to 36 per cent. In 25 out of 36 countries, more people now have a favourable view of China compared with the US. The think tank said this is the first time since it began tracking global views in 2002 that China has achieved such an advantage in so many countries.
After approaching historic lows in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, global views of China are improving and, in some places, even reaching new highs. pic.twitter.com/oiVRC9oWuo
— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) July 15, 2026
China’s image has improved in more than one-third of the countries surveyed. In Italy, positive views of China increased from 31 per cent in 2022 to 51 per cent in 2026. This marks the first time in nearly two decades that more than half of Italians have a favourable opinion of Beijing. Similarly, in Spain, favourable views of China rose to 54 per cent, the highest level since 2011.
Which Countries View US Positively?
Despite the improvement in China’s global image, some countries have reported a decline in favourable views. Israel saw one of the biggest drops. Meanwhile, the US continues to have a stronger image than China in only six countries, including Poland, India, Israel, Japan, the Philippines and South Korea. According to the survey, 54 per cent of Indians have an unfavourable view of China, while only 23 per cent view China positively.
Comparison Between Xi And Trump
The survey also compared global confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. It was based on their ability to "do the right thing" in world affairs. The findings show that more people in several countries expressed confidence in Xi than Trump. Countries where Xi received stronger support include Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Canada, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Pakistan Shows Highest Support For Xi
Notably, Pakistan recorded the highest support for Xi, with 83 per cent of respondents expressing confidence in the Chinese President. In India, respondents showed support to Trump, with 39 per cent favoring the US President.
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