In a new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, it is found for the first time since 2002 that China enjoys more favorable opinion compared to the United States in most countries surveyed. Among 36 countries surveyed, 25 view China more favorably than the United States, with significant shifts towards China witnessed in countries such as Canada, Spain, Italy, and Indonesia. Only six countries, mostly allies of the US like Israel, Japan, and India, prefer the United States.

Although people were not very confident of either US President Donald Trump or Chinese President Xi Jinping, Xi enjoyed a better reputation compared to Trump in many countries. While the US is still viewed as more respectful to individual freedom compared to China, the difference is reducing. While 75% of those surveyed think that the US interferes in other countries' internal affairs, the figure for China is only 45%. Specialists claim that the reason behind this trend lies in recent unpredictable policies of the US in foreign affairs and, consequently, in the current perception of China as a more stable country.