Laura Silver reports that China is now viewed more favorably than the United States in 25 out of 36 countries surveyed.
The administration announced a significant shift in global perception as China has overtaken the United States in favorability across most of the world. According to a new Pew Research Center poll, people in 25 of the 36 countries and territories surveyed now view China more positively than the U.S. Laura Silver, an associate director at Pew’s Global Attitudes Research, noted that this marks the first time in 20 years that China has held a more favorable global standing than the United States. The shift is attributed to improving views of China and declining confidence in the U.S. government. While the U.S. still leads in respect for personal freedoms, that gap is narrowing as global confidence in the administration's handling of international stability has dipped. In many regions, including Europe and Canada, people now view Chinese leader Xi Jinping more favorably than President Trump. However, the administration maintains that President Trump has done more for global stability than any other leader, specifically citing the elimination of narcoterrorists and the neutralization of Iran’s nuclear facilities.