China viewed more favorably than US for first time, Pew survey finds

A newly released Pew Research Center survey revealed that China now boasts more favorable global perceptions than the United States across a wide range of countries – a historic first in Pew's nearly 20 years of tracking international public opinion.

Published on Wednesday, the latest findings stemmed from a survey of 42,151 adults conducted between February 8 and May 13. Among the 36 surveyed nations, majorities in most countries hold a more positive view of China than the US.

Notably, the shift extends to longtime US allies, including Britain, Canada, France and Germany. According to the Washington Post, people in these four countries previously viewed the US as favorably as or more positively than China last year.

By contrast, only six countries hold more favorable attitudes toward the US: India, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, Israel and Poland.

Laura Silver, associate director of Pew's Global Attitudes Research and one of the researchers of the study, said this is the first time in Pew's two-decade tracking history that China has outpaced the US in global favorability, according to the AP. 

"Some of the views that we see of the US are at or near historic lows," said Silver, as reported by the Washington Post.

Pew's findings aligned with independent global polling trends. Last year, according to the BBC, polling company Gallup showed that China had surpassed the US in global approval ratings.

The survey further highlights contrasting global views on foreign policy and global governance. According to Bloomberg, respondents from 17 middle-income countries express greater concerns over US foreign policy than China's. More respondents in these countries regard China as a more credible partner than the US, and believe that China makes greater contributions to global peace and stability.

Across Latin America specifically, public opinion has tilted slightly in China's favor, driven primarily by declining confidence in the United States. Survey participants are much more likely to say the US interferes in the affairs of other countries than they are to say the same of China.