A survey found that people worldwide trust Xi Jinping more than Donald Trump in managing global affairs, with China viewed more positively than the U.S. for the first time in 25 of 36 countries surveyed.
On 16 July 2026, BBC News released the latest public opinion survey from the Pew Research Center, which polled more than 42,000 people in 36 countries between February and May 2026. The findings showed that globally, people have greater confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping to handle world affairs than U.S. President Donald Trump, even though confidence levels for both leaders remain relatively low.
The survey indicated that in many countries, respondents expressed more confidence in Xi Jinping than in Trump, with most confidence ratings for both leaders below 50%. Nevertheless, Xi Jinping's scores surpassed Trump's across multiple regions worldwide.
According to the survey, Pakistan has the highest confidence in Xi Jinping at 83%, while Japan has the lowest at just 7%. The survey also found that, for the first time since Pew Research began tracking public attitudes toward global powers in 2002, people in 25 of 36 countries have a more positive view of China than the United States.
Countries showing noticeably improved attitudes toward China include Spain, Indonesia, Italy, Greece, and Canada. Only six countries—Poland, the Philippines, South Korea, India, Japan, and Israel—maintain more positive views of the U.S. than China. Additionally, respondents perceive that while the U.S. is recognized for placing greater importance on individual freedoms, China is seen as less intrusive in the domestic affairs of other countries.
Pew researchers noted that the U.S.'s image has declined steadily over recent years, while positive attitudes toward China have risen in many countries, reaching record highs in places such as Italy, Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Turkey. The survey also identified a trend of predominantly middle-income countries holding positive views of China, whereas developed nations tend to have more negative attitudes. Singapore stands out as an exception, being a high-income country with notably positive views toward China.
Source: BBC