A new global opinion survey by the Washington-based Pew Research Center has found that China is now viewed more favorably than the United States by a majority of people worldwide. Conducted across 36 countries with over 42,000 respondents, the 2026 survey marks the first time since Pew began tracking global attitudes in 2002 that China has overtaken the U.S. in popularity. Respondents in 25 countries expressed more positive views of China, while only six countries—Poland, the Philippines, South Korea, India, Japan, and Israel—showed stronger support for the United States.

The survey revealed that China’s popularity is highest in middle-income nations and lowest in wealthier ones, with Singapore being a notable exception. In Asia, Pakistan showed the most favorable opinion of China, while Japan was the least favorable. When comparing leaders, both Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump received low global confidence ratings, though Xi ranked slightly higher overall.

Researchers attributed the shift to differences in foreign policy perceptions. Seventy-five percent of respondents viewed the U.S. as overly interventionist, compared to 45 percent for China. Many participants also cited recent U.S. policy volatility as a factor, while China’s consistent diplomatic and economic outreach helped strengthen its image among developing nations.