A report authored by Democratic members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has raised significant concerns about the United States’ diminishing strategic influence in the face of China’s growing global power.
The document critically analyzes President Donald Trump’s foreign policy during the initial six months of his administration, arguing that his approach has severely compromised America’s competitive ability against China.
The report emphasizes a troubling trend of reduced staffing at the US Department of State and the chaotic restructuring of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Agency for Global Media, which oversees important channels like Voice of America and Radio Free Asia.
These cuts are highlighted as detrimental to US power and global influence, strengthening China’s position on the world stage.
US Senator Jeanne Shaheen commented on the findings, asserting that as President Trump retreats from international commitments – undermining alliances, diminishing diplomatic tools, and favoring adversaries – China is actively expanding its influence.
The report categorizes China as a “strategic challenge distinct from any in our nation’s history,” emphasizing its ambitious long-term strategy aimed at surpassing the US as the leading superpower.
Trump’s withdrawal from various international initiatives, such as the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement, has created a vacuum that China is moving swiftly to fill.
China has invested significantly in overseas funding and has broadened its diplomatic outreach, enhancing its global standing as a direct result of Trump’s foreign policy.
Additionally, the toll of Trump’s tariff disputes with key US trading partners is outlined in the report, indicating that these actions have weakened alliances and economic partnerships, nudging even traditional allies closer to China.
The urgency of the Democrats’ warnings is underscored by new survey findings that reflect a global shift in attitudes towards China.
The nonpartisan US-based Pew Research Center released a survey showing that public sentiment towards China has improved in 15 out of 25 surveyed countries, including Mexico, South Africa, Turkiye, Kenya, and Indonesia, compared to the previous year.
Despite the overall negative perception of China remaining intact – with a median of 54 percent of respondents indicating an unfavorable view – the country is now regarded as the top economic power by a slim margin over the US.
According to the survey, 41 percent of participants believe China will be the world’s “top economy” by 2025, versus 39 percent who view the US in that light.
Particularly striking shifts in perception were observed among ten high-income nations, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
In this group, favorable views of the US declined dramatically from 51 percent in 2024 to just 35 percent in 2025, including notable drops in essential Asia-Pacific allies such as South Korea, Japan, and Australia.
Simultaneously, China’s approval rating in these high-income countries rose from 23 percent to 32 percent during the same period.
Moreover, the confidence in the US president among these nations dropped sharply from 53 percent in 2024, while Joe Biden was in office, to just 22 percent under Trump.
This development positions Trump’s approval rating below that of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who saw a minor increase from 17 percent in 2024 to 24 percent in 2025.
The report articulates a growing skepticism about the United States across Asia, a sentiment echoed by Ian Chong, a political science associate professor at the National University of Singapore. He noted that Trump’s trade war has cultivated deeper distrust and skepticism of the US, causing some nations to view cooperation with China as an attractive alternative.
Nevertheless, Chong remarked on the reality that many economies still acknowledge their interdependence with the US, despite any distaste for current policies.
William Yang, a senior analyst with the Brussels-based Crisis Group, further elaborated that as uncertainties related to the Trump administration continue to shape international relations, a perceived reliability in China is becoming increasingly appealing to other nations.
He noted that more countries, even those closely allied with the US in the Indo-Pacific region, are seeking to stabilize their relations with China through enhanced bilateral exchanges.
This trend is evident in the number of high-profile visits to China by leaders from various US allies, including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who met with Xi Jinping recently in Beijing.
In early 2023, Xi also welcomed leaders from Singapore, New Zealand, Spain, and Brazil, who sought to fortify their ties with China.
Yang concluded that while concerns about specific Chinese practices persist, especially related to security, countries are motivated to manage their relationships with China to better cope with the uncertainties fostered by the Trump administration, which may, in turn, improve perceptions of China.
image source from：aljazeera
