A global poll has found that in 2025, China surpassed the United States in approval ratings on leadership, and by the largest margin in nearly two decades.
What's driving this change?
How are global attitudes toward these two major powers evolving?
And what could the shift mean for policymakers and for the future of the international order?
Hello and welcome to the panel discussion of World Today.
I'm Dou Hongyu in Beijing.
A poll conducted by US analytics company Gallup found that China's global approval rating has climbed to a median of 36, surpassing the United States at 31.
The five-point gap marks the widest lead China has held over the US in nearly 20 years of tracking.
The shift reflects a decline in U.S. ratings alongside an increase for China.
Approval of U.S. leadership fell from 39% in 2024 to 31%, while that of China rose from 32% to 36%.
These findings are based on surveys across over 130 countries and regions, drawing on about 1000 respondents in each.
Now joining us online for the discussion are Chen Weihua, former chief Washington correspondent of China Daily, Wang Zichen, deputy secretary general and the Center for China and Globalization, and Li Peimei, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the International Islamic University, Malaysia.
Welcome to the show.
While the surveys were conducted in 2025, which means they were all before what has happened this year?
They were before the recent round of Middle East conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
And the ratings were before the recent escalating tensions between the United States and other NATO members.
This is very important to note because people were making those ratings without these in mind.
So first, let's go to Mr. Chen, because you had been in the United States for quite a lot of years.
Within just one year, global approval of the US leadership fell from 39% to 31%.
What happened?
I think I just want to make a very few points.
I think there was a Number one.
I mean, we all know even Trump.
Before Trump took office earlier last year, he already threatened tariff war against the entire world.
I mean, that's what he has been doing the first year.
I mean, literally against not just China, but China.
You know, U.S. allies in Europe and Latin American country in neighbor Mexico, Canada.
So it's US has proved to be a source of it's, a disruptive source and destructive in some way power.
And second, I would say, I mean, the U.S. has become a disruptive power of the global system.
I mean, we always say the U.S. helped build the global system after the Second World War.
But the first year of the Trump administration, obviously prove that's not the case.
I mean the US has been dismantling the global system with obviously not just the tariff war, just sort of the disabled, the WTO.
I mean actually starting the first Trump administration already.
I mean the Trump administration withdrew, I mean, from Paris climate accord again for the second time.
So all these, I think, are the main factor.
I actually just came back from seven years.
In Europe the views about the United States has declined dramatically because the Europeans care a great deal about the climate change.
And they are for a multipolar world.
I mean, of course, they used to be pampered a lot.
They relied so much on the US, but they thought by pleasing the US the US might just spare them from this tariff war.
But the Trump administration, obviously, they're being very harsh on Europe, too.
So I just, yeah, that's the quick thought.
Okay, thank you.
And then, Mr Wang, what do you think are the factors driving the drop of global approval of the US leadership in 2025?
Well, thank you for having me.
I think what happened is that, in the eyes of many countries, the United States began to look less like a provider of stability and more like a source of disruption.
The poll shows.
You know, the drop was broad based, not confined to, you know, rival states, the sort of countries that are just inherently unfriendly to the United States.
So it's very broad based.
The US approval fell from, I think, 39 to 31 and its disapproval hit a record 48, and the decline was especially sharp among its allies, as Mr Chen Weihua just mentioned.
I think this suggests the problem is not simply anti-American ideology.
It is growing discomfort with unpredictability.
As you correctly highlighted, the survey was actually conducted for the year of 2025, but since the survey year, which is since the beginning of 2026, I would imagine that impression has only become easier to understand, with the US moving to withdraw from international organizations and especially the recent US-Israeli attack on Iran.
I think all these events will further reinforce concerns about unilateralism and global instability.
So I would say the decline reflects a cumulative loss of trust.
Many countries still recognize US power, but they increasingly doubt the power's consistency, restraint and reliability.
Then, Dr Li, what do you think?
Yeah, i think uh, both panelists um mr chun and mr wong, point out very, a lot of very important points.
Uh, i think one of the very important reason is the tariff.
Another reason that I want to expand on, which they have yet to expand more on it, is about the American first policies.
I mean, if we look at the tool used by the US to advance its American first policy, which is the tariffs, is actually telling the world that all the measures or any actions or policies coming from the United States will be for US and it's not for the world?
And this is actually depart from the previous administration of the US, where they always do things with their allies, you know, in partnership with other countries and with their allies.
So they provide a more multilateral system in the previous administration.
But this round under Trump, he's very unilateral.
He's taking actions unilaterally and basically he's isolating his allies.
And not only that.
We can see that, for example, like what Mr Chen and Mr Wang pointed out, he threatened to walk away from various institutions.
In fact, he had withdrew from Paris Agreement and whatnot.
And there is another very important point military alliance, which is NATO.
The US also actually threatened to say that they would walk away from NATO and express their interest in acquiring Greenland.
So basically, Greenland is part of Denmark.
And when the US insists that they want to acquire Greenland Even, you know, not ruling out the possibility of military action.
It actually caused a friction between NATO allies and Trump.
And this actually led to Denmark and several other NATO allies to issue a joint statement which affirms Denmark's territorial integrity.
So I can see that the decline is because people feel very disappointed with Trump and his various policy the tariff policy, as well as his insistence to take Greenland.
So they feel, like you know, their alliance with the US is very fragile and that can break up anytime soon.
And for the ordinary people they just feel like the US is like a big power.
That are sort of like bullying the other powers.
You have all mentioned U.S. allies.
Actually, last year, among the 44 countries that saw the U.S.'
's approval drop by over 10 points, most of them are U.S. allies, including many NATO partners.
Let's move on to Mr. Wang.
Could you please help us to delve deeper into...
Why are people in the US allies leading this decline in terms of US's approval drop?
I think like, you know, allies, they judge the United States by a higher standard.
I mean, rivals expect confrontations, but allies expect reassurance, continuity, and respect.
So when Washington becomes more transactional, more tariff-driven or more careful about alliance sensitivities, the disappointment is sharper among friends than among adversaries.
As you mentioned, Gallup polls says 44 countries saw a decline of at least 10 points, concentrated among allies.
And I think actually this poll can be corroborated by other polls, including the one conducted by European Council on Foreign Relations, which also shows that Europeans have been dealing with, under renewed tariff pressure, growing doubts about US security guarantees and even anxieties over Trump's revived Greenland rhetoric toward Denmark.
So that poll also found that only, I think, 16% of EU citizens now see the US as an ally.
And so this is not, again, not anti-Western sentiment.
It is, you know, these allied publics.
They are reassessing whether the United States is a dependable anchor.
Okay.
And then Dr. Li, what do you think?
Why are people in the U.S. allies specifically more negative about the U.S.'
's leadership?
Yeah, I think.
Well, like what we have discussed just now, I basically see that the US disapproval rating has dropped and even that disapproval rating has actually increased in these NATO countries, particularly in Germany, Portugal.
The reason is because I think all these policies of the United States is very much self-interested.
And whatever measures or actions taken by the United States, it was never discussed with the allies.
So, in other words, I think the US didn't actually treat them as equal partners.
The US have a very different worldview.
They feel themselves as the single most powerful countries in the world.
And therefore, in whatever they do, there's no need to actually discuss with the EU.
So from the EU perspective, they will feel being isolated and even alienated by the US.
And, in fact, when we see what the US is trying to do, like what Mr Wang said, the current US administration is very transactional.
They're asking or pressuring NATO partners to increase their military spending.
And this, these are all these issues that arises that cause frictions between the NATO partners, with the US, and for for NATO partners.
I think.
They were saying that the U.S. would not be a reliable partner.
And therefore there is even call for EU to have strategic autonomy.
Meaning to say that you know, in future there is no need really to you know, follow through thoroughly whatever the US asked them to do.
Meaning that they should have an independent and autonomy to decide on what is the best path for them.
So, for example, I think the US also has been pressuring the EU to sort of, like you know, contain China, in other words,
But I think EU has to has to take this into consideration.
I think the US they could not be a reliable security partner and also not a reliable economic partner.
And who else can they look to besides China?
I mean China.
You know cooperation with China will give them a lot of, And then a lot of.
You know drives grooved.
So therefore, I think the reasons why many NATO partners actually view US negatively is because of the issues of Greenland, because of pressuring them to increase military spending, and also mainly because of the tariff.
And there is no coordination whatsoever with the special treatment for the EU.
And the pressure has also been felt by people in those U.S. allies.
Now, among all the U.S. allies, there's a big exception, Israel.
The Israeli people's approval of the U.S. is as high as 76 percent.
It's one of the highest in the world.
So, Mr. Chen, how do you explain this divergence between Israel and other U.S. allies?
As the other panelists mentioned, I think it was not surprising for Israel.
US allies to distance themselves from the US, because if you just listen how Trump has trashed NATO, trashed the European Union, trashed various European leaders and threatened to take over a piece of ice which is Greenland
It was hugely offensive to Europeans.
So that's no wonder, I mean, the poll among the Europeans are very low for Americans.
I mean besides actually the Europeans during the election the last election, 70 percent More than 70 percent favored Biden over Trump, which means they didn't like Trump in the first place.
But going back to Israel, I think Israel is a very different case because I think actually one connected is.
You know, in the last, The few years of the Biden administration, the first year of the Trump administration, you know you have this Gaza genocide going on.
Europeans, many of them supported Israel, calling it the right to defend itself.
Actually they were also appalled by it, the atrocities conducted by Israel.
So they opposed many of them.
But the US administration obviously continues to offer support, and that also actually puts Europeans and Americans apart, I would say.
But for Israel, I think Traditionally they favor a Republican president more than a Democratic president, which means they favor Trump more than Biden.
Overall, the U.S.-Israeli relation is very special.
I actually lived like 11 years in the U.S. and covered, you know, U.S. politics.
And US politicians, like congressmen or even cabinet members, before they sway in, they often have to pledge allegiance loyalty to Israel before they like a pledge of loyalty to the United States.
That's quite, uh, you know, bizarre, but that's so politically correct in Washington.
So and uh.
So that's why you know you have uh University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer uh writing a book called uh Israel Lobby, because uh Israel is so powerful in Washington politics, and so I would say that Israel is not like US allies in Europe.
But Israeli people's approval of the US fluctuated a lot during the past few years.
It spiked after the October 2023 Hamas attack, and then it dropped sharply in 2024.
Then it jumped back 13 points in 2025, when Trump returned to the White House.
Let's move on to Mr. Wang.
What does this back and forth tell us about?
What shapes countries or specifically, Israel's opinion of US leadership?
I do think like Israel is actually the clearest example of hot security overriding almost everything else.
In most allied countries, people are evaluating the US through trade friction, political style, multilateral withdrawal or alliance uncertainty.
But in Israel, the US is just first and foremost through deterrence, military backing, intelligence sharing, regional crisis.
Yeah, so I think in the case of Israel, the opinion of great powers can be highly event driven.
I think the spike and then the drop actually shows that because the US approval in Israel is not moving smooth ideological line.
It is reacting to whether Washington is seen as an immediately useful ally in moments of danger, as you mentioned, after the October 7th terrorist attack by Hamas, and then, you know, in 2024 and then after trump returned to office in 2025.
I think the pattern suggests that, you know, israeli people often judge leadership less by.
In this case, when they are, you know, in a what Israel believes to be a very, you know, hostile neighborhood, it's judged less by abstract principles than whether they feel, you know protected, backed or abandoned in crisis.
I think, yeah, this is truly a quite unique case compared with other US allies.
And then Dr Li.
The regions with most declines in US approval also include countries of the Global South, including those in Africa and almost all of South America.
So Dr. Li, why do you think Global South countries are turning more negative?
Okay, before I answer this question, I just want to add on to what Mr Chun said just now about the NATO allies distancing themselves from the US administration.
And actually we see it's very true, because I think in recent events the US actually asked NATO to join its coalition strikes against Iran, but then NATO basically just refused to do it.
Particularly.
I think what US wants NATO to do is to help to reopen the Straits of Hormuz, which the NATO did not agree to.
Okay, so the Global South?
I think yes, it's not very surprising for the Global South to view the US very negatively.
The reason, like we say, the Global South is like a...
It's still in the developing stages.
So what they want is actually development.
So they'll prioritize development.
But what we're seeing is that Trump with his tariffs, various types of tariffs, it's not only the universal tariff.
He also have Section 301 tariff and many, many more tariffs.
That, it seems, is going to hamper the economic development of the global south.
So, and not only that, when first Trump announced the universal tariff, he meant to pressure all these countries into entering unequal trade agreements, which actually forces all these countries to open up their economy to the US in exchange for lowering the tariff, but just lowering the tariff.
So a lot of countries in the global south.
They basically enter into one trade agreement which their people actually think is very unequal, which opens up their economy further to US companies and remove a lot of protections for their industries which actually can hamper the competitiveness of their local industry.
And one particular country the people would particularly dislike Trump is Mexico.
I think Mexico had a very rough time due to the tariff.
Trump even openly criticized the Mexican leader.
So the people were infuriated.
And especially Mexicans.
They were not really happy with Trump because US and Mexico actually has a free trade agreement.
With that free trade agreement, supposedly most of the goods should be exempted from tariffs, but Trump tried to override it.
What happened was there was like a movement in Mexico where the cafes in Mexico they were so angry with the US that they tried to rebrand the coffee Americano to be Mexicano.
So this is a form of protest against Trump and it all is policies.
Thank you all for your in-depth analysis so far.
Let's have a short break.
Coming back, we'll continue our discussion.
Hello, my name is Alessandro Golombievski Teixeira.
I'm a professor of public policy management at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
I am a great listener of the world today.
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In The World Today, we can get the best news and analysis in what is happening now in the world.
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Welcome back.
You're listening to the panel discussion of World Today with me, Dou Hongyu.
We've been unraveling global perceptions of China and the United States because a global poll has found that in 2025, China surpassed the United States in approval ratings of leadership, and by the largest margin seen in nearly two decades.
Let's now continue our discussion and let's move on to the China part.
China's approval rating has gone up steadily from 28% in 2022 to 36% in 2025.
So Dr. Li, let's start with you this time.
What factors are driving this continued growth in China?
Well, I think China image in the eyes of many countries are much better today, like I think China is being perceived as a more reliable partner and friend and, very importantly, I think China as a responsible power is contrasting with what the america is doing.
Uh, there are, like what mr wong and mr chin say, they are causing a lot of disruptions and also a lot of uncertainties to the world.
So, on the other hand, I think China is seen as a more responsible power that respects country's sovereignty and also one that emphasizes on peaceful coexistence.
So I think this is very important to drive China's Because, in particular, we see that the US, they have been involved in Beijing-Qin Beijing-Zula, involved in the Gaza war, involved in the Iran war today,
Therefore, I think many countries believe that now we cannot expect anything else from the United States.
So we needed a more responsible and sensible power, and that is China.
And one of the things I think China did right is that, while the US is turning more inward, setting up high tariff that can stifle competition China, on the other hand, said it will continue to defend the global trading system and also ensure that trade continues to flow more smoothly.
I think this is very important.
And China, which always calls for a more just and equal international order, is something what other countries actually want as well more cooperation and more openness, more stability.
And then, Mr. Chen, can we get your view here?
What are the factors that are driving the continued growth of China's approval rating in the past few years?
Yeah well, obviously the contrast.
You know you have the US becoming increasingly disruptive, destructive.
And China, you know, has been seeing increasingly a source of stability, as you know.
The others mentioned
I mean, you know, China has obviously not waged a war, has not engaged in a military conflict with anyone since 1980.
1979, you know, when there was a three-week brief report of this conflict with Vietnam.
I mean, China, our international issue, China appeared to be the adult in the room, obviously.
I mean you have US threatening tariffs and you have US, you know, quitting international institutions.
Tariff is very interesting, I would say.
Before I came back from Europe, Europeans actually looked at China's reaction to Trump's tariff threat.
China stands up to the tariff threat, while Europeans basically surrendered to Trump's threat.
So I think that actually you have many Europeans applauding China's response to Trump's tariff threat.
So China stands very strong.
And of course, China, I think, has been laser focused on doing a good job.
I mean, at home, I mean, look at China's performance.
I mean, China is not a sort of a, largest manufacturing powerhouse with labor-intensive goods.
It's become, you know, a technology leader, a renewable energy, EVs, you name it, I would say.
I mean obviously.
I think I hope you know China's mini-visas free policy for many countries has also helped, because it allowed more people to visit China.
I mean, I'm not in Shanghai.
I mean, you go outside in the city center, you see many more foreigners.
So obviously, I mean, more people are able to see the real China.
I want to say this is especially important because the poll shows such a rising favorability for China, because China has been demonized by the West for years, especially during the Biden administration.
I mean, the first Trump administration, too.
They always want to portray China as a threat, you know, destabilizing, which are all lies.
I mean so, but I have to acknowledge that actually the Trump 20 I mean, has dialed down on the rhetoric.
Even you know there was still a lot out there.
But You know, I think all these factors you know should more and more people recognize China is not what those lies say.
Great.
And then, Mr. Wang, do you think that maybe soft power can be one of the reasons?
Because this reading is not done by policymakers.
It was done by ordinary people across the world.
So do you think that soft power of China exists has something related to the result of China's growth?
Well, I do agree with what Ms.
Chen Weihua just says.
China has reopened more confidently, expanded visa-free access and basically made it much easier for business people and tourists to come.
The overwhelming majority of EU member states citizens can travel to China visa-free for 30 days at a time.
And I think the Chinese government reported that in last year, over 30 million foreign entries based on visa free.
So there is that and also, as i'm sure you know, many people have seen on social media, on youtube um uh, you know, short video platforms.
There are basically vloggers taking, you know, video records of what they see in china.
So i do think that helps with uh, with the software power part.
But at the same time I would be careful not to overstate it because, you know, 36 is still not overwhelming global enthusiasm.
But the direction is meaningful.
As has been said, you know, partly the increase is clearly contrasted When the U.S. looks more erratic, China benefits from appearing steadier and more predictable.
But there is, of course, the domestic Chinese substantive side of opening more.
So I think for China the key now is to deepen that openness and make foreign interactions with China warmer, easier and just more reassuring.
The momentum matters here.
It is phenomenal that many of China's approval gains are in countries where the US's approval dropped, including US allies like the UK Spain, Italy and Ireland.
Mr Chen, is this because people in these countries actively prefer China and agree with China's sense of values or China's way of development, or just because they're turning away from the United States?
Well, I think I would say both are true.
I mean obviously, as we say.
I mean we already talked about the US allies stuff deeply frustrated with the US, the Trump administration.
I mean, but they have become.
I mean the fact that actually Europeans talking about the de-risking from the United States right is quite telling in itself.
I mean, Europeans have become much more realistic and pragmatic today with China.
I mean they are.
They were under great pressure before the Biden administration the first Trump administration, you know to sort of joining their China containment strategy.
But China, they realize China is not the China 20 years ago, not even the China 10 years ago.
China, as we mentioned, is the manufacturing powerhouse technology leader and the largest trade partner for some 130 countries.
I mean that's why you see Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez coming to China next week for the fourth time in just a few years.
And you have recently visited China by leaders from the UK France, Germany and Canada, all of which are key US allies, or most G7 member states.
So I think this is particularly important, because I mean China-EU relation, for example, used to be quite good, but it was deeply affected by sort of the geopolitical rivalry between China and the US during the first Trump administration.
So I really hope, I personally hope, I mean, the EU is supposed to restart sort of its China debate.
But it's been postponed just for, I think, a little while.
But they are just trying to re-engage with China.
I mean obviously.
I think Pedro Sánchez's visit and other leaders' visits are quite symbolic of the trend are coming closer to China.
I wouldn't say.
They used to say we want to keep.
We're not equal distance, a little closer to the US.
But this time I think maybe they are still closer to the US, but they're coming a little closer to China.
Re-engagement.
And now China's five percentage point lead over the US is the biggest gap in China's favor in nearly 20 years, according to Gallup.
Then, Dr Li, what does this gap tell us about how the world is viewing these two countries' leadership today?
Well, I think meaning to say that the increase in favor of China meaning that people have more trust and confidence in the Chinese leadership whereas, on the other hand, people are less confident and have less trust on the US leadership.
I think mainly people view these countries very differently.
I think in the eyes of many, Trump's administration actually causes a lot of volatility and uncertainty.
And for ordinary people, it actually affected their life as well.
If we look at the current iran war is actually sending oil prices out and then it affected uh, you know, ordinary people right, because things are getting expensive and even some countries in asia, like thailand, they run out of oil in the petrol station.
So therefore, i think, of course i i knew that this uh pull was taken in 2025, before all these things happen.
But even in 2025, with all his tariff and then with his promises, and then withdraw from his promises, all this uncertainty and flip-flop policies actually makes people, you know, think that view, view the us in the negative light.
So I think another thing, very funny thing, is that when US, when Trump, before he became a president, he said he's going to get the US out of war.
And then, but what we're seeing is the opposite.
Like in last year, 2025, there were already strikes on Iran.
There were also attacks U.S. heavy involvement in the Gaza war.
So that's the opposite.
And in fact you see Trump.
Through executive order, he renamed the Department of Defense to be Department of War.
So is this administration that says he's going to take the U.S. out of war or into more wars?
So I think that you know Trump when he intervenes in many conflicts around the world and specifically, for example, you know the majority Muslim populations.
They will definitely view Trump negatively and the US, as an extension, negatively because of the US support for Israel.
It caused the war in Gaza to be ongoing for so long.
And we have seen children, women killed, civilians killed as a result of this bombardment.
And therefore I think what it was a very different image that China actually portrays to the other world and as what both other panelists have described, you know China has been championing, you know has been giving more stability to the world, has been championing non-interference and peaceful coexistence.
And not only that, when China, when there were hostilities elsewhere, for example in Gaza, And what China's asked for is that there is an immediate end to the hostilities and that China promotes dialogue and discourages the use of force.
And this presents a very different image of China and the United States.
And I would say that there are other Chinese initiatives that actually helps to improve China's image.
For example, there are BRI that helps promote economic development.
There are also global development initiatives, So all of this makes China seems like a provider of security and economic development for the world.
Now there are a lot of different interpretations regarding the improving Chinese image and the worsening US ones.
Some say that China's lead over the US is more because the US approval dropped, not because China's approval grew.
So, Mr. Chen, do you agree with this explanation?
Do you think this is the right way to put it?
Well, I would say not really, because you actually have other polls.
I mean, from Pew Center, from the European Council on Foreign Relations, you know, actually...
Another poll released this week by Singapore's think tank, which shows you know more people, I mean in ASEAN.
11 ASEAN member states would rather align with China than align with the United States if they are forced to choose sides.
That's quite amazing.
So the trend is, I think, quite clear.
I mean actually even the Gallup poll itself in the last few years.
I mean the trend for China is on the rise.
But I think this is going... to be a permanent trend for quite a while.
I mean quite optimistic about that because, as we discussed so far, I mean China has been the adult in the room, China being the source of stability.
China is for a multipolar world.
For you know, China actually, unlike what some Western countries, a politician demonizing China.
China supports the global system.
You know wants to safeguard the global system.
Establish things, the World War II.
I mean, of course, China and other developing countries can train the global south.
Like you know Brazil, India.
I mean, obviously we want to improve the global system to make you know our voices, the developing countries' voices, more heard.
I mean, so, but we are not, we don't want to topple the international system.
And that's been clear.
I mean, So I think all this shows China has acted responsibly.
Even you know, if you just look what happened the last few years.
I mean all indicating that China has played a role in mediating the current crisis between Iran and the US and Israel.
I mean China obviously played a very positive role in the rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia a few years ago.
China has continually, I mean called.
You know China, I mean always to me, on the right side of history, this very important issue, whether on the Gaza, you know crisis, peace and stability, economic development, you know.
So, I mean, coming back from Europe, I mean, China actually was the biggest...
I mean during the euro crisis.
I mean if you go to Greece and ask people there, I mean they will tell you that.
Okay.
Then Mr. Wang, we've been talking about public opinions on different major powers now.
But do you think there's a gap between how ordinary people view the United States and China's leadership and how their governments, the policymakers, view these powers?
If there is such a gap, how might it affect policy decisions?
Well, I do think you know, judging by, let's just say, the increasingly more frequent visits by foreign leaders to China that you know, as Miss Chen was saying, there was a British Prime Minister, there was a German Chancellor.
The Spanish Prime Minister is coming here again next week, actually at the end of this week, for the fourth time in four years.
And then we'll have the Vietnamese leader very shortly.
So I'm pretty sure all these countries' leaders, they are visiting China for a reason.
They feel the need to have more engagement with China.
And I think that reflects broadly just as the poll which is actually conducted among the people on the streets.
However, I do think the relative confidence now do favors China more than before, but I would not go so far to say the world has become uniformly pro-China, because neither country commands broad support and both still have actually negative net approval globally minus one for China and strikingly minus 15 for the US.
But of course, the US leadership has become more polarizing than China's.
The US disapproval hit actually 48%, almost half.
I guess the question now are no longer only about you know.
What used to be is just values or alliance.
They are now more about predictability development, market access and the room for policy autonomy.
On those questions, I think the US you know, did lose ground significantly to China.
I think also the public are not suddenly become, you know, pro-China in an ideological sense.
They have become less willing to let you know Washington or the traditional mainstream narrative monopolize their strategic choice.
And the people, and also as the leaders of these countries, they are more willing to keep channels open with Beijing.
So for China, this is an opportunity.
And if it responds with more openness and the fewer frictions, we might see even better polling numbers for China in the next one.
A great chance for China.
And public opinions can also affect market access or rules and business partnerships.
It can affect a country's economy.
Mr Chen, what risks and opportunities does this current global sentiment create for multinational companies working across major powers?
Well actually, if you look at the capital flow, I mean you increasingly see, I mean it's in favor of China, in favor of, for example, Hong Kong, as they are.
You know, I mean because of the turmoil.
You know, because China has been seen increasingly as a place of predictability.
I mean, as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said, actually China is more reliable and predictable than, you know, the United States.
Can you imagine that from, you know, the northern neighbor of the United States?
I mean, it's unthinkable just a few years ago.
So I think business leaders I mean even in Europe and Germany, the largest European economy they're talking about.
You know, actually one of the goals of the Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez's visit to China is actually I read the reports about persuading China to for technology transfer to Spain.
I mean, you actually have heard this a lot recently from European leaders.
Did you hear that 10 years ago, 20 years ago?
No, we always have Europeans transferring their technology.
But now, because China is a technology leader, and China obviously is...
The huge, huge market in this world.
I mean, so business, I mean, China is also sending, I mean, the 15th five-year plan.
You know Chinese leaders have been sending out opening up.
You know policies.
You know welcoming foreign investors.
So I think it's all good.
I mean, China is a place of stability.
I mean, it welcomes the investors and the great market.
It's a great opportunity.
So I think it's going to look quite good in favor of China.
And finally, Dr Li, given what has happened so far this year and what might happen in the coming months, how will the global images of China and the United States change this year?
I think there will be, of course, more resentment towards the US leadership because of its involvement in, for example, regime change in Venezuela.
And then we see that the strikes against Iran.
And in fact, you know, In fact, in the Gaza war, Trump comes up with his 20-point plan, which actually enrages the Palestinians, because the plan actually favors the Israelis more than the Palestinians.
So I would say I expect the approval rating of the US to decline further, particularly in majority Muslim countries like in Malaysia.
In fact, in Malaysia, when the Gaza war happened, there was boycott of the American products because people associate these brands, American brands, with their support towards the US involvement in the Gaza war.
So therefore, I think that, particularly in majority mostly majority countries, The approval rate of the United States is going to decline further.
And in the case of Asia as well, I think we felt most because of the recent conflict in Iran.
A majority of the oil that passes through the Straits of Hormuz is actually to Asia.
So I think in Asia as well, it will decline further.
And for China.
I think China has been building efforts to be close to countries across different regions, particularly in Southeast Asia.
Like for example, I give you an example during COVID-19.
China actually gave, you know, quick access to some of the countries in Southeast Asia.
They even donated some of the vaccines to Southeast Asia countries to help the countries to quickly vaccinate these people.
And these are some things that you know the people can feel uh, it's a form of public diplomacy because they know okay, these donations are coming from china.
And then there is also bri project and specifically in malaysia, we have this east coast building, which is going to be a in operation very soon.
So people will like, you know, it's everywhere.
You know this kind of initiative driven by China which is beneficial for the countries.
So people, you know, truly understand that.
And, of course, I think in this year Chinese image will definitely, you know, approval rating will definitely make much better in China, asia and in majority muslim majority places and, on the other hand, the us approval rate in muslim majority countries will definitely decline further.
And then, mr wan, what do you think, what's your forecast of, or the evaluation of, the global images of china and the united states in 2026?
Well, I think it depends on what these two countries do and how people view them.
But, you know, we're now in the early part of April.
I think yeah, I would agree with what Dr Li Peimei was just saying, that you know it doesn't look very well for the United States.
And I want to add one more thing which I think so far hasn't been mentioned is within the United States, the internal governance, the domestic internal chaos also shaped outsiders perception of the United States.
I guess it's not just the US foreign policy choices, it's military intervention, it's attack on Iran, it's invasion into Venezuela, but also within the United States itself.
There was huge no king protests.
There was a huge change in the US military and also among its diplomatic corps.
And I think people are also watching the domestic developments in the United States.
And for China if it sticks to the road of more openness, better development, sharing opportunities, sharing technology, sharing production capacity with the rest of the world and welcoming more people, including from the United States, to enter China.
Trump is coming to China, at least he says so, next month.
So if China continues down this more openist road, I do see the comparative approval rating for China in the eyes of the global community would get better.
Okay, thank you.
And that's all for this edition of World Today.
Thank you so much for listening.
Bye for now.
