China’s Favorability on the Rise, US Favorability Declines: Axios

By Staff, Agencies

Global favorability ratings reveal a shift in perceptions, with China’s standing rising as America’s declines, a trend suggesting US trade policies may be inadvertently strengthening China at the United States’ expense, Axios reported on Monday, citing a Morning Consult report.

Declining global views of the U.S. may hurt American businesses abroad by reducing trade, investment, and consumer interest in their products and job opportunities, said Jason McMann of Morning Consult.

Recent data from Morning Consult, shared with Axios, reveals a sharp shift in global perceptions: by the end of May, China’s net favorability rose to 8.8, while the U.S. dropped to -1.5 — a significant reversal from January 2024.

The findings are based on net favorability ratings—positive views minus negative ones—gathered by Morning Consult through surveys of adults in 41 countries, including Canada, France, Japan, Russia, and the UK.

Global views of the U.S. have significantly declined since President Trump took office, reversing last year's mostly positive reputation.

Morning Consult data shows that most of the 41 surveyed countries now view the U.S. more negatively, while perceptions of China have improved.

Russia stands as the notable exception where US favorability has improved since Donald Trump was elected as US president.

China's net favorability rating had remained consistently negative since Morning Consult began tracking in October 2020, only entering positive territory following last year's US election.

The most significant gains have occurred since March, including a notable surge after President Trump's controversial "Liberation Day" tariff announcements.