Pew: World's view of China, Xi improves slightly
July 15 (UPI) -- A new Pew survey is suggesting that global viewpoints on China may be trending in a slightly more positive direction for the communist nation.
The Pew Research Center poll of 25 surveyed countries released Tuesday indicated that a large segment of the global population views China as the world's undisputed top economic power.
Pew officials say the results contrast from 2023, the last time the question was posed.
It noted that shares of people with a favorite view on China jumped in the last year in 15 of the 25 countries part of the Pew survey.
The new results from spring's survey outlined how a median 41% of polled adults spread out in the 25 countries believe the Chinese economy is the world's greatest, while nearly the same number of 39% say it's the United States with the greatest economy.
Pew noted that it's the first time since 2020 that opinions on Chinese influence turned in a more positive light following historic, or near historic, lows in recorded data dating nearly 20 years.
Notably, the survey said that confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping to do the right thing in diplomatic affairs also went up in many of the countries surveyed.
But despite the shift, Xi and overall view of China "remain broadly negative," according to Pew Research.
It says a 36% median of surveyed adults had a favorable Chinese view, while 54% had an unfavorable view. The survey added that 25% of people had confidence in the Chinese leader versus 68% who had little or no faith in Xi.
The research center pointed out that while Xi's numbers did improve, it spurred an opposite reaction on outlooks on the United States and President Donald Trump.
"Today, international views of the two superpowers and (Trump and Xi) are closer than they have been at any point since 2020," the survey results read in part.
In 12 countries spanning regions and income levels, China is viewed as the top global economic powerhouse. Results showed that it was the most common opinion in most of surveyed Europe by majorities in Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain, and by roughly half of adults in France, Hungary and Poland.
By contrast, survey respondents in nine countries say the United States is the better economy. Including polled Americans in Pew's survey, a majority of respondents in Israel, Japan and South Korea agree on U.S. economic might with split feelings in Brazil, Kenya, the Netherlands and Britain.
Pew's survey results arrived the same day it was revealed that China ended up bucking second quarter's economic expectations in the face of the U.S. president's global tariffs despite a slowdown in the Chinese economy.
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