Why global opinion is tilting toward China

Editor's note: Xu Ying is a Beijing-based international affairs commentator for CGTN. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The latest global survey released by the Pew Research Center on July 15 carries significance far beyond the realm of public opinion. China has overtaken the United States in overall global favorability across a broad international sample. This is more than a statistical milestone. It is a political, economic and civilizational signal that people around the world are reassessing what kind of leadership, partnership and development model is best suited to an era of profound global transformation.

For decades, Washington appeared to assume that military superiority, vast alliance networks and dominance over global narratives would naturally secure its international standing. Yet the latest findings point to a different reality. Increasingly, people are judging nations not by their slogans but by their performance, not by ideological claims but by tangible results. In an age marked by uncertainty, practical outcomes speak louder than political branding.

Across 36 countries and regions, the survey reveals a remarkable shift in global perceptions. Favorable views of China have climbed steadily over the past three years, while confidence in the United States has declined noticeably. Particularly striking is the reversal among several long-standing Western partners. Italy, Canada, Germany, France, Spain and the United Kingdom all registered significant improvements in attitudes toward China even as confidence in the United States weakened.

Even more revealing is the breadth of this trend. Across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and much of Latin America, China is increasingly viewed as a reliable partner in development rather than merely another geopolitical competitor. Even in countries that maintain close security ties with Washington, public opinion has become more nuanced and less ideological. The world is no longer sorting itself neatly into opposing camps. Governments and citizens alike are asking a far more practical question: Which country contributes more to peace, development, stability and shared prosperity?

For a growing number of people, the answer increasingly points toward China.

This transformation did not emerge overnight, nor can it be explained by public relations campaigns. It reflects the cumulative impact of China's economic resilience, technological innovation, diplomatic engagement and long-term commitment to development cooperation.

Economically, China has continued to demonstrate remarkable resilience despite slowing global growth and persistent geopolitical uncertainty. Industrial upgrading, advances in high-end manufacturing and leadership in electric vehicles, renewable energy, digital infrastructure and next-generation telecommunications have reinforced its position as one of the world's principal engines of growth.

More importantly, China has sought to share these capabilities with the wider world.

Through high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Chinese-built railways, ports, highways, industrial parks, irrigation systems and water infrastructure have improved the daily lives of millions across Asia, Africa and Latin America. These projects are ultimately judged not by political rhetoric but by practical outcomes: cleaner drinking water, more reliable electricity, faster transportation, higher agricultural productivity and better employment opportunities.

Development speaks a language every society understands.

China's technological progress reflects the same philosophy. Advances in artificial intelligence, 5G communications, clean energy and digital manufacturing have enabled many developing countries to gain access to modern technologies without political preconditions or ideological demands. At a time when advanced technologies are increasingly restricted or weaponized for geopolitical competition, China's emphasis on openness, capacity building and mutually beneficial cooperation offers an alternative that resonates across much of the developing world.

China's growing diplomatic credibility has further reinforced this trajectory.

Whether facilitating the restoration of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, promoting political solutions to regional conflicts, advancing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative, or consistently supporting the United Nations-centered international system, China has sought to present itself as a builder of peace rather than an exporter of confrontation.

That approach resonates because it reflects a principle deeply valued throughout the Global South: respect for sovereignty and every nation's right to choose its own path to modernization.

By contrast, the recent decline in America's international image appears, to a significant extent, self-inflicted.

In recent years, Washington has relied increasingly on unilateral tariffs, sweeping sanctions, economic coercion and geopolitical pressure as central instruments of foreign policy. From escalating trade disputes and politicizing global supply chains to imposing unilateral restrictions and bypassing multilateral consensus, many of its actions have appeared increasingly inconsistent with its longstanding advocacy of openness, free markets and a rules-based international order.

Even among America's closest allies, unease has become more visible.

Differences between Europe and Washington over tariffs, industrial policy, energy pricing, technology regulation and strategic autonomy have exposed growing strains within the Western alliance. Canada, historically one of America's closest partners, has witnessed one of the sharpest declines in public confidence toward the United States. Similar patterns are evident across much of Western Europe, where domestic debates increasingly question whether close alignment with Washington always serves national interests.

Meanwhile, many developing countries have reached their own conclusions.

Across the Global South, China is increasingly associated with infrastructure, investment, industrialization and long-term development, while the United States is more often linked to sanctions, intervention and geopolitical hostility.  

The survey therefore reflects something deeper than a contest of popularity. It points to a profound change in the standards by which international influence is measured.

For much of the post-Cold War era, global leadership was commonly assessed through military alliances, ideological appeal and geopolitical dominance. Today, an increasing number of countries evaluate international partners according to different criteria: whether they generate development opportunities, respect national sovereignty, contribute to regional stability and provide practical solutions to shared challenges.

This shift also helps explain the growing appeal of platforms such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. These mechanisms respond to widespread demand for a more representative, inclusive and development-oriented system of global governance rather than one dominated by exclusive geopolitical blocs.

None of this suggests that the United States has ceased to be a major global power. It continues to possess formidable financial markets, world-class universities, technological innovation, extensive alliance networks and considerable influence across international institutions and global media. China should neither underestimate these enduring strengths nor mistake favorable public opinion for permanent success.

International trust is never inherited. It must be continually earned.

China's challenge is therefore not to celebrate improving perceptions, but to transform growing goodwill into durable partnerships. That means raising the quality and sustainability of Belt and Road cooperation, expanding educational and cultural exchanges, strengthening multilateral collaboration, providing more global public goods and communicating China's development experience with greater confidence, transparency and openness.

When villages gain access to clean water, farmers harvest more productive crops, young people acquire new skills, businesses enjoy stronger connectivity and nations preserve their sovereignty while pursuing modernization, abstract geopolitical narratives inevitably lose much of their persuasive power.

Ultimately, the latest survey tells a story far larger than whether China currently enjoys higher favorability ratings than the United States.

It suggests that the world itself is changing.

More countries are embracing an international vision based on equality rather than hierarchy, cooperation rather than coercion, and development rather than confrontation. Increasingly, they recognize that modernization does not require Westernization, and that every nation has the sovereign right to pursue its own path in accordance with its history, culture and national circumstances.

That may prove to be the survey's most enduring message.

China's improving international standing is not simply the story of one nation's rise. It reflects a broader global aspiration for a fairer international order, a more balanced multipolar world and a more inclusive model of globalization. History has repeatedly shown that genuine influence cannot be imposed through force or sustained through intimidation. It is earned through trust, strengthened through cooperation and ultimately measured by the tangible improvements it brings to people's lives.

If the latest global opinion trends reveal anything, they suggest that an increasing number of people around the world are casting their vote not with ballots, but with trust.

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