Pew Survey: Xi Jinping's Favorability Surpasses Trump! Global Views of the U.S. Continue to Decline as China Rises

The U.S. think tank Pew Research Center released its latest public opinion survey on the 14th, covering 37 countries including the United States, with more than 45,000 respondents. The survey asked people about their views on China and its leader, Xi Jinping. The Facebook fan page 'US Taiwan Watch: U.S. Taiwan Observatory' analyzed the results, noting that international perceptions of China and Xi Jinping are improving, while views of the United States continue to decline, with an average 'golden crossover' now evident.

The fan page pointed out that, in the context of Pew's long-term survey data, this is the first time that global public favorability toward China has surpassed that of the U.S., and that approval of Xi Jinping has exceeded that of U.S. President Trump. In the comparison between Xi and Trump, 22 countries showed higher favorability toward Xi, six were evenly split, and only eight showed greater favorability toward Trump.

The page noted that Trump's atypical style, transactional language, and disregard for basic diplomatic norms naturally make him unpopular among most people. Importantly, the question arises: Is the U.S. disliked because of Trump and his policies, or because of the U.S. as a whole? This issue has recently sparked extensive discussion in publications like Foreign Affairs.

China is seizing this opportunity to strengthen ties with many nations, positioning itself as a defender of the international order and free trade. While this is seen as shameless by some, it is highly effective—especially as current U.S. foreign policy appears indifferent to values such as democracy, freedom, and alliance partnerships, creating openings for China to exploit.

How does public opinion influence U.S. foreign policy? The fan page analyzed that regardless of public sentiment, the policy elites in Europe and the U.S. have not significantly shifted their views on China. In other words, while China may be influencing public opinion, it has not yet swayed political elites. In both the U.S. and Europe, the overall discourse on defense, diplomacy, and trade remains highly unfavorable toward China.

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