Kitajska in Xi sta v mnogih državah bolj priljubljena od ZDA in Trumpa, kaže nova raziskava

A new global survey indicates that China and its president, Xi Jinping, are viewed more favorably than the United States and former president Donald Trump in many countries around the world. According to the Pew Research Center, which conducted the poll from February to May, perceptions of the U.S. have declined sharply while those of China have risen, marking a historic shift in international public opinion. The survey covered 36 countries and territories, revealing that in 25 of them, respondents expressed more favorable views of China than the U.S. This includes key Western allies such as Canada, Mexico, and several European nations including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Only six countries still hold more positive opinions of the U.S. than China, with Israel leading the list, followed by Japan, India, South Korea, the Philippines, and Poland. Favorable opinions of Xi Jinping outweighed those of Trump in 22 of the 36 countries surveyed. Despite this, trust in both leaders remains relatively low in many regions. The findings represent the first time in approximately two decades that China has been viewed more positively than the U.S. globally, according to Laura Silver, associate director of Pew's Global Attitudes Research. Silver attributed the change in perception partly to the ongoing conflicts involving the U.S. and its allies, particularly the war in Gaza and the broader regional instability. She noted that the U.S.'s actions, including Trump's demands regarding Greenland, the military operation in Venezuela, and the handling of the Israeli-Hamas conflict, have contributed to a decline in international goodwill. The shifting dynamics have also been influenced by the diminishing impact of the pandemic, which had previously shaped global attitudes toward both nations. As memories of the crisis fade, the focus has turned to current geopolitical developments, further affecting how different countries perceive the U.S. and China. In Canada, for example, the proportion of citizens with positive views of the U.S. dropped from 57% in 2023 to 33%, while support for China increased from 14% to 44%. Similar trends were observed in several European countries, where public sentiment towards the U.S. has waned despite historical alliances. Despite these changes, the U.S. still holds an advantage over China in terms of perceived respect for personal freedoms, although the gap has narrowed considerably. The Pew report highlights that this narrowing is due to declining confidence in the U.S. government's commitment to individual liberties across nearly all surveyed countries since 2021. China's rise in global favorability appears to be partly due to its comparative stability and reliability in international relations, according to Silver. Many countries now see China as a more consistent contributor to global peace and security, especially amid the perceived unpredictability of U.S. foreign policy under the Trump administration. The survey underscores a complex landscape of international public opinion, where traditional alliances are being reassessed in light of recent political and military actions. While the U.S. continues to maintain certain advantages, the growing influence of China suggests a potential realignment in global power structures and diplomatic relationships.