One year into Trump’s second term, a worldwide poll suggests China’s influence is rising as America’s global standing slips.
This change has been expedited by Trump's "America First" policies, which include high tariffs on both allies and enemies as well as his mistrust of the U.S.-led system of alliances that force countries into Beijing's circle. In the meantime, Washington is seen with less fear by America's adversaries, who believe that the days of uncontested Western domination are over.
These are the results of the most recent global poll conducted in November by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), which included 25,949 respondents from 21 different countries.
“Donald Trump did not go into politics to make China great again,”
the ECFR, a European think tank, said.
“But that is what the latest poll of global public opinion…suggests he has done in the eyes of the world.”
The survey was conducted at a time when the Trump administration has taken a very different stance toward its traditional allies. One such instance is Vice President JD Vance's speech to the Munich Security Conference in February, during which he criticized European countries on matters such as election integrity and freedom of speech.
In an attempt to seize control of Greenland, a region of NATO member Denmark, Trump and his deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, have recently refused to rule out using force.
According to the poll, the majority of people in numerous major countries including 54% of Americans, 53% of inhabitants of the European Union, 51% of Indians, and 72% of Brazilians believe China will have greater global influence over the next ten years.
In the meantime, less people appear to be afraid of China's development.
The majority of people only consider China to be a foe or enemy in South Korea and Ukraine. On the other hand, at least half of Russians, South Africans, Brazilians, Turks, and Europeans describe China as an ally or essential partner.
However, China's rise does not imply that America would deteriorate.
A possible return to a multipolar world is indicated by the fact that while fewer than half of respondents said they thought the United States would grow stronger, many said they thought it would continue to have influence on the international scene.
Only 20% of Russians and 34% of Chinese believe that America will become more powerful worldwide, which is another opinion held by the country's worst enemies. On the other hand, a sizable majority of South Africans, Brazilians, and Indians agreed.
In several nations and blocs, such as China, Ukraine, and the EU, the percentage of respondents who characterize the United States as an ally has decreased concurrently.
How do global perceptions of Xi and Trump compare by country?
Recent checks from Pew Research( 2025) and other sources show Xi Jinping enjoying advanced confidence conditions than Donald Trump across multiple countries, particularly in the Global South and corridor of Europe.
Trump holds net negative comprehension in 82 of surveyed nations, compared to 44 for Xi, with only 27 viewing Trump appreciatively encyclopedically versus 32 for Xi.
Trump's inimical conditions stem from tariffs, alliance strains, and" America First" isolationism, while Xi benefits from China's profitable stability and BRI systems. U.S. favorability fell to-5 net( from 22), while China's rose to 14.