In a recent Pew Research Center survey conducted across 24 countries during the spring of 2025, perceptions of the United States and China have been analyzed, revealing shifting opinions regarding both superpowers.
The survey indicates that on average, a median of 49% of respondents hold a favorable view of the United States, whereas only 37% express a favorable opinion of China.
Notably, in eight countries, the sentiment towards the U.S. is more positive than that toward China.
Israel stands out remarkably, with 83% of its population viewing the U.S. favorably, compared to just 33% for China.
Other nations, particularly those in close geographic proximity to China, such as South Korea, Japan, and India, similarly favor the United States over China.
On the other hand, there are seven countries where China is perceived more positively than the U.S.
Among these is Mexico, where 56% of respondents express a favorable opinion of China, while only 29% feel similarly about the United States.
China also garners higher ratings in four other middle-income countries surveyed: South Africa, Turkey, Kenya, and Indonesia.
Furthermore, in nine countries, including five European nations, opinions regarding the U.S. and China are comparable.
In these regions, negative views towards both nations are more prevalent than positive ones.
The analysis highlights a significant trend: in many countries evaluated, negative views of the U.S. have intensified over the previous year, while views of China have marginally improved.
To further elaborate, the median scores derived from the survey showcase these changes effectively.
For instance, a third of Canadians currently view both the U.S. and China positively, with each at 34%.
However, the approval for the U.S. has plummeted by 20 percentage points since 2024, whilst the positive opinion for China has ascended by 13 points.
This trajectory suggests that, particularly in high-income countries observed over the past nine years, perceptions between the two global powers are converging closer than they have since 2018.
Beyond views of the nations, the survey also assessed confidence in the leaders of these two countries.
Results show that public confidence in both President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping is notably low across most surveyed nations.
However, President Trump enjoys higher confidence ratings than President Xi in 11 of the countries.
This disparity is most pronounced in Israel, where the confidence level for Trump is nearly eight times greater than for Xi, at 69% versus 9%.
Considerable gaps in confidence also appear in neighboring countries of China, along with Hungary and Poland.
Conversely, in six countries, a greater number of respondents express confidence in Xi compared to Trump, with the starkest contrasts noted in Mexico, where 36% trust Xi against just 8% for Trump.
Other notable cases include Indonesia, which reflects a similar trend.
In another seven countries, including Canada — the U.S.’s northern neighbor — confidence levels in both leaders show no significant discrepancies.
When evaluating changes in confidence levels over time, the Pew Research Center found that public confidence in the U.S. president has waned in 13 nations since 2024 while increasing in six.
In contrast, confidence in Xi has risen in 16 countries, with a decrease only occurring in Israel.
For example, German confidence in Biden sank from 63% in the previous year to merely 18% under Trump.
During the same period, confidence in Xi saw an increase from 17% to 25%.
Across the 10 nations surveyed annually since 2017, Biden consistently received higher confidence ratings than Xi.
This year, however, the median confidence ratings reveal an even split, with Trump receiving 22% and Xi slightly ahead at 24%.
Moving towards economic perceptions, the survey illustrates that half of the respondents perceive China to be the preeminent economic power, surpassing the U.S.
Conversely, eight countries acknowledge the U.S. as the leading economy, while four others view both nations as equal in economic stature.
Since 2023, some countries have reported a marked shift in the perception of economic leadership, with China increasingly being recognized as the leading economic power.
In France, for example, opinions were evenly split in 2023 with 43% pointing to China and 43% to the U.S.
As of this year, however, 49% of respondents now view China as the top economic authority, diminishing the U.S.’s standing to 37%.
When it comes to the importance of economic partnerships, a majority of respondents in 19 countries prioritize strong economic ties with the United States.
In contrast, only Australians, Indonesians, and South Africans consider stronger ties with China to be more important.
Curiously, in almost all high-income nations where the survey was conducted in both 2021 and 2025, opinions have leaned more towards strengthening economic relations with China.
In Australia, for instance, the emphasis on economic ties with the U.S. fell from 52% in 2021 to 42% in 2025, while a significant increase has been noted in the prioritization of relations with China, jumping from 39% to 53%.
The only exception to this trend appears in South Korea, where the desire for closer economic relations with the U.S. has increased while views towards China have diminished.
The survey further explored international perceptions regarding alliances and threats.
Most respondents identified the U.S. as their nation’s key ally over China.
Yet, in terms of perceived threats, many Europeans and Latin Americans designated the U.S. as a more significant threat compared to China.
In countries including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, the United States ranks as the second-most commonly acknowledged threat after Russia.
In Spain, comparisons between the U.S. and Russia yield nearly identical responses.
Conversely, in regions like Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico, the U.S. is frequently viewed as the principal threat.
Some nations, including Australia, Japan, and the U.S. itself, stand out as they predominantly regard China as the major threat to their own national security.
The findings underscore a complex and evolving landscape in global perceptions towards the two superpowers, indicating that while the U.S. maintains a favorable view in several regions, there is a notable trend in the rising favorability of China along with emerging perspectives on leadership and economic partnerships.
image source from：pewresearch
