China and Xi favored over US and Trump in many nations: Survey

China and Xi favored over US and Trump in many nations: Survey July 15, 20264:34 PM ET By  The Associated Press FILE - President Donald Trump talks with China's President Xi Jinping at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound, May 15, 2026, in Beijing. Mark Schiefelbein/AP hide caption toggle caption Mark Schiefelbein/AP WASHINGTON — The world has largely viewed the U.S. more favorably than China for years, but those opinions have flipped in Beijing's favor this year, according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center, a remarkable shift driven in part by tensions between the Trump administration and U.S. allies. More people have favorable views of China than the U.S. in 25 out of the 36 countries and territories that were surveyed, including Canada and Mexico. The poll was conducted from February to May, a period when the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran. Sponsor Message In only six countries do people still see the U.S. more positively than China, according to the findings released Wednesday. U.S. vs. China: Inside a great power rivalry As Trump goes to China, what do Americans say about tariffs, Iran and world standing? Views in 22 out of the 36 countries and territories also are more favorable of Chinese leader Xi Jinping than U.S. President Donald Trump, including in Canada, Mexico and major European powers including France, Germany and the U.K. However, people in many of the countries have low confidence in both men. It marks the first time in the roughly 20 years Pew has been tracking global opinions that China has been viewed more positively than the U.S., said Laura Silver, associate director of Pew's Global Attitudes Research and one of the researchers on the study. Views of Beijing and Washington have been very similar at some points in the past but have not been significantly more favorable for China until now, she said. The shift follows the COVID-19 pandemic becoming a distant issue and as global views of the U.S. have soured, Silve...