China Now Outranks the United States in Global Favorability. What Happened?

Council on Foreign Relations  |  Yanzhong Huang

A Pew Research Center survey published on July 15, 2026, reveals that China is viewed more favorably than the United States in most surveyed nations for the first time in nearly two decades, signaling a significant shift in global soft power. This transition is driven primarily by deteriorating international opinions of Washington rather than a massive surge in Beijing's global appeal.

Historically, American diplomatic volatility, unilateral tariff policies, and diminished engagement with traditional allies have eroded the international goodwill previously enjoyed by the Western superpower. Conversely, Beijing has capitalised on this retreat by expanding its cultural influence through viral social media trends and promoting its state-led industrial model across middle-income economies in the Global South. While Washington retains a favorability advantage among key Indo-Pacific security partners facing direct maritime disputes with Beijing, the cyclical nature of public opinion suggests this soft-power deficit could shift under future administrations.

Comment

The decline of American favourability in high-income democracies directly undermines the political viability of the AUKUS security partnership. With Canadian public trust in Washington as a reliable partner dropping to thirty-five per cent, Ottawa faces heightened domestic scrutiny over its defence alignment with the United States. This deficit in public goodwill limits the political capital required to sustain long-term commitments to joint technological initiatives like the Pillar Two advanced capability sharing. Beijing's rising favourability in middle-income nations further isolates these Western security initiatives from key Global South partners. This dynamic echoes the public opposition that historically fractured the ANZUS alliance in 1985 over nuclear ship visits, indicating that domestic sentiment remains a critical vulnerability for US-led security frameworks.

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