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Global views of China and Xi improve as perceptions of US decline, Pew survey finds

China’s image has recovered from pandemic lows while confidence in the US and its global leadership has weakened

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Han Liin WashingtonPublished: 1:00am, 16 Jul 2026Updated: 3:54am, 16 Jul 2026China’s global image has rebounded from its pandemic-era lows, with international views of both the country and President Xi Jinping improving as confidence in the United States has declined, according to a new Pew Research Centre survey.

The survey, released on Wednesday, polled more than 45,000 people across 37 countries spanning every region of the world, including many advanced economies and emerging markets, such as Argentina, Australia, France, Ghana, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and the US.

“Views of China were at or near historic lows in many countries during the Covid-19 pandemic but have since steadily increased,” Jonathan Schulman, a research associate at Pew Research Centre, said in a statement to the South China Morning Post.

“Views of the US have declined in many places, and the share of people saying that the US is a reliable partner to their country has similarly fallen sharply.”

The survey was conducted between February and May through telephone, face-to-face and online interviews, during a period when the US was becoming increasingly entangled in the conflict with Iran and other regional crises.

One of the survey’s most notable findings is the shift in relative perceptions of China and the US.

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