US and Joe Biden Outshine China and Xi Jinping—Poll

The U.S. and its president, Joe Biden, are currently viewed more favorably than China and its leader, Xi Jinping, by the public in more than 20 countries polled for a study released on Monday.

The Pew Research Center study compared national attitudes toward the two superpowers among a geographically diverse group of countries. The poll included questions on a range of topics, including heads of state, contributions to international peace, economic strength, military prowess, technological competitiveness and the protection of personal freedoms.

People in 23 countries surveyed (the U.S. was excluded from the question) had at least slightly more confidence that Biden would "do the right thing regarding world affairs." Respondents in all but three high-income countries expressed more confidence in the U.S. president than in his Chinese counterpart. The trust gap was notably smaller among the eight middle-income populations, except in India and Brazil.

In India, which is edging closer to the U.S. amid tensions with neighboring China, the 64 percent who trust Biden was double the amount who said they trust Xi.

The authors of the study pointed out how far Xi has fallen in the estimation of highly developed countries in recent years, after having previously polled higher than Biden's predecessor, former President Donald Trump, in some cases. Xi's public opinion slide is particularly pronounced among Western economies.

When it comes to perceptions of the countries themselves, all but two of the populations polled viewed the U.S. in at least a slightly better light. The two outliers, Kenya and Nigeria, viewed both China and the U.S. favorably, with China just edging the U.S. Poland was the most pro-U.S. country, with 93 percent favoring it, compared to 21 percent who prefer China.

The U.S. and China have seen their likability fluctuate in recent years. Under the Trump administration, impressions of the U.S. generally dropped to—and in some cases below—those of China. Both the U.S. and China's favorability ratings took significant nosedives during the COVID pandemic. Under the Biden administration, the U.S. has generally reclaimed much of its goodwill, while China in general lags far behind.

The largest portion of respondents in Nigeria, Kenya, Mexico, Indonesia and South Africa felt positively about both countries. Argentina had the highest percentage of respondents who favored China at the U.S.' expense, while Hungarian respondents were divided, with 21 percent preferring each country. The remaining 17 countries preferred the U.S. by varying degrees.

The U.S. is largely seen to be a bigger force for "global peace and stability" than China, often by at least 30 percentage points. In Japan, which has an ongoing territorial dispute with China in the East China Sea, the spread is the largest, with 79 percent of those polled saying the U.S. contributed more to peace and stability, versus just 14 percent opting for China.

The U.S.' GDP was approximately $25.5 trillion in 2022, according to World Bank data, while China's was just shy of $18 trillion. However, China's economy, which in recent years was still growing at a meteoric rate, has slowed in the wake of strict pandemic-era lockdowns, a housing crisis and other issues, raising doubts over whether the East Asian giant will ever surpass the U.S. in economic might.

All but eight of the populations polled see the U.S. as the world's leading economic power. In Australia, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Greece, more survey participants said China has the most economic clout, while respondents in France and the U.K. were divided on the question.

The U.S. and China are both leaders in technology, particularly in the digital market, the pollsters noted, with the U.S. boasting the biggest market share in mobile operating systems and China ahead of the curve in 5G and worldwide network coverage.

A median of 72 percent of the populations surveyed said U.S. technology was either "above average" or "the best," versus 69 percent who said the same about China.

Chinese technology is, however, held in higher esteem in 10 of the 24 countries, including the U.S. itself. Two-thirds of Americans believe China has the technological edge, while 10 percent fewer believe the same about technology produced in their own country.

The survey also found that Latin American countries tend to prefer Chinese technology, while the U.S.' is more favored in Asia.

The U.S. remains the world's top military power, thanks in no small part to its massive defense budget. Washington spent over $876 billion in 2022, about three times as much as runner-up China, though the latter has almost twice the number of active military personnel.

Every country surveyed said the U.S. retains its military supremacy. Respondents in the U.S.' NATO ally Germany, though, brought up the rear, well within the margin of error, with only 59 percent casting a vote for the U.S., versus 58 percent for China.

China continues to face criticism over its suppression of civil liberties and democracy in Hong Kong, mass surveillance, a heavily censored internet, arbitrary arrests and detentions, an opaque criminal justice system and its mass incarceration of Uyghur Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang.

Freedom House this year labeled the U.S. "free" and China "not free," with scores of 83 and 9 out of 100, respectively.

All of the respondents favored the U.S. by at least 23 percent on this point.

The Pew Research Center essay was based on nationally representative surveys conducted in 17 countries in 2021 and 24 countries in 2023. The polls were administered to adults aged 18 and over by telephone, or face to face, depending on the country. The number of respondents ranged from 985 to 2,611, with a margin of error between 2.6 and 4.8 points.