SINCE the end of World War II, the United States has enjoyed the reputation as the Earth’s most dominant nation, politically, economically and militarily.
The US was looked up to as the leader of the “free world,” the cornerstone of global peace and prosperity.
That reputation remained unchallenged for decades. Not anymore, according to a survey in 36 countries conducted by the Pew Research Center.
The Washington, D.C.-based think tank polled 42,151 adults from Feb. 8 to May 13 this year, and released the results last July.
It showed that China has outpaced the US in the global popularity ratings race.
In recent years, opinions of the US have worsened “to the point where China is now seen more positively than the US” in most of countries surveyed, Pew said on its official website.
The negativity peaked at the start of US President Donald Trump’s second term last year. At the same time, confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping began to rise.
The favorability gap between Washington and Beijing continues to widen, and is especially large in several Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern countries, Pew noted.
In the Asia-Pacific, only the Philippines, India, Japan and South Korea maintain a positive view of the US. Understandably so, since those countries depend heavily on the security shield that the US provides in pushing back against China’s hegemonic aspirations in the region.
One of the survey’s most glaring findings is that more Canadians now have a favorable view of China than the US. That’s particularly significant, considering that Canada is the US’ neighbor and has long been its most steadfast ally.
The survey also found that when it comes to respecting the personal freedoms of its peoples, both the US and China scored badly. Beijing was never a beacon for people’s rights — the Tiananmen massacre of 1989 will attest to that — so the low rating is not unexpected.
The US, on the other hand, should have fared better. Apparently, Trump’s xenophobic immigration policies and growing concerns about the rise of a police state weighed heavily on international public opinion.
Trump seems unperturbed by the Pew survey. “The United States is respected as never before,” he has repeatedly declared.
What does the shift in global perceptions about the US indicate? Some observers see it as a reflection of Washington’s controversial foreign policies, trade protectionism and deepening involvement in military conflicts.
The tariffs Trump has clamped down on exports has alienated trade partners. The unresolved crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has created growing resentment among loyal US allies in the Middle East like Jordan and Kuwait.
Those are pressing issues that need to be addressed.
Chong Ja Ian, a nonresident scholar with Carnegie China, told the BBC he wasn’t surprised by the Pew Center Research survey’s findings.
“The volatility of US policy, including the use of force and the resulting economic harm, has put many on edge,” Chong said.
China, meanwhile, “seems like a more predictable entity... Beijing has also been working hard to burnish its image,” Chong added.
Yanzhong Huang, an expert on US-China relations, points to three forces as driving the shift.
The first is Beijing’s aggressive campaign to promote the “China model” as the market leader in electric vehicles, batteries and infrastructure. The second is China positioning itself as the champion of the Global South, draining the US’ influence in the emerging countries of Africa, South America and Asia.
The third force is the US’ implosion as a soft power, thanks to Trump’s incoherent foreign policy.
“The scoreboard changed mostly because one team kept score own goals,” Yanzhong said.
It is, however, premature for China to break out the champagne. Yanzhong cautioned that the Pew survey “marks a genuine and historic shift in global public sentiment. Yet it is better understood as a relative repositioning than as a decisive victory for Chinese soft power.”
Beijing now appears as “the more accessible and predictable partner, especially as Washington’s retrenchment creates a vacuum. But the Pew data does not show a broad transfer of affection or admiration. China has won the comparison; it has not yet won hearts and minds.”
The US has a lot of catching up to do to reverse the trend.
